Car Window Smashed, Purse Stolen in Bike Trail Parking Lot

When Avon resident Sarah Calatayud got back into her car in a parking lot along Thompson Road after a walk on the Farmington Valley Greenway trail Tuesday morning with her friend, everything appeared normal.

But then she saw shards of glass on the floor of the passenger seat side of the car and saw the passenger window was smashed. Her purse, which contained $80 in cash, credit cards, a driver’s license and a Kohl’s card, was missing. Her iPod and Garmin navigation device were not stolen even though they were in plain sight.

“I didn’t even really notice it until I opened the driver’s side,” Calatayud said, noting that she was  away from her car from 10:45 a.m. to noon.

She filed a report with the Avon Police Department Tuesday.

In retrospect, Calatayud said she remembers a tall man in street clothes leaning against another car and talking on a cell phone while she and her friend leashed their dogs. She said no one else was around when she got to the trail, but she could not confirm that he was responsible for what happened.

There was no other damage to the car and Calatayud said her insurance company is going to cover the cost of replacing the window. She has canceled her credit cards.

The last time someone broke into Calatayud’s car was 1996 in New Haven and she said that living in the suburbs sometimes makes her “a little complacent,” thinking “it’s not going to happen to me.”

Her purse was taken from under the passenger seat in her car and she said she thought that the tinted windows of her car would help hide it. Calatayud said that now she will think more about what valuables she leaves in her car and where she hides it.

“I just wanted to spread the word. Just a reminder. Just think twice,” Calatayud said. “Don’t leave anything valuable in your car”

A message Patch left with the police department inquiring about further details was not returned.