Vehicles damaged and items stolen by vandals at parking service in Anchorage

by Delta Discovery Staff

Nine vehicles were damaged by thieves at a long-term parking service in Anchorage this past week. The vehicles sustained smashed windows and items were stolen. One car was also reportedly driven off, according to parking staff.

The damaged cars were located at Diamond Parking’s self storage long-term parking area. The long-term parking area is adjacent to a wooded area and is surrounded by a metal fence and barbed wire just off of Old International Airport Road not far from the Spenard intersection.

To access or to leave the parking area, a person has to punch in a code that opens a motorized gate. It is in the back far from the Diamond Parking office building.

The vandalism occurred during the late hours of Sunday June 9th, 2019 or the early morning hours of Monday, June 10th, 2019. Parking staff made the calls to the damaged car owners on Monday.

One of the cars that was damaged was parked by its owner on Sunday, June 9th. Lot workers discovered the damage on Monday, June 10th.

In the cars that were hit, items were strewn about, compartments were emptied and everything looked like it had been rifled through.

The cars that were the unfortunate target of the thieves varied in make and model.

In one car there was a computer monitor that the thief or thieves decided not to steal. In another there was an iPad that was untouched.

“Anchorage is getting really bad,” said an automotive worker at the Dimond Jiffy Lube location. Another auto specialist from SafeLight Auto Glass said that these kinds of damages were becoming more frequent. SafeLight specializes in repairing broken glass on cars.

One of the vehicles had the back window on the passenger side smashed and used to gain entry. The sharp shards of broken glass had drawn blood, evidenced by the blood smears and drops found inside.

Officers with the Anchorage Police Department responded to the crime scene for the car that had the blood splotches and they collected samples along with photographs in hopes to help bring the thief or thieves to justice.

Diamond Parking workers were sorry that the cars were broken into. They offered to pay for the damages the cars sustained. On Monday as soon as the damage was found, workers covered all smashed windows with black trash bags and tape.

By Thursday, some of the damaged cars were still as they had been on Monday.

The auto glass workers at SafeLight were able to repair at least one of the damaged cars on Thursday. It took them about an hour and a half to clean everything up and complete the job.

Most of the bill was covered by insurance, said the owner, except for $100.

If the thief or thieves drove off with one of the cars, then how did they exit the gated and barred lot? They must have had access to one of the entry codes. Does Dimond Parking keep track of which code was used to open the long-term parking gate?

Yes, said one of the shuttle drivers who was aware of the situation.

Then Diamond Parking should look back and see when the gate was opened and with which code. Each patron has a unique code assigned to them and them only.

The long-term parking area where the vandalism occurred does not have any surveillance cameras.

“Somewhere out there is someone with a cut hand,” said the car owner with the left-behind blood evidence. “I hope they will be caught and restitution made.”

If anyone knows anything about these incidents, please call the Anchorage Police Department.