Police in the far north Mississippi town of Southaven say that criminals broke into 81 cars during a single night. Of that number, 35 were in the parking lot of Baptist DeSoto, a hospital in the area. The investigation is still ongoing.
The police department says that it was called to the hospital in the early morning hours of June 20th. It’s there that they found 35 cars that had been burglarized. Just south of the hospital, there are a number of hotels including a Holiday Inn, a Fairfield Inn, and a Comfort Suites. Police say that among the many hotels near the hospital, they found 46 more cars broken into.
There’s no word on exactly how long the criminal(s) were working on this group of cars but even at one car per minute they would’ve been in the area for well over an hour. Past incidents prove that automotive break-ins can be very fast. According to a statement released by Baptist DeSoto, it’s working with the police and alerted them at the first sign of trouble Tuesday morning.
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“We take every precaution to minimize and deter theft and provide a safe campus for our patients, visitors and employees. Unfortunately, we are not immune to crime, and overnight our Southaven hospital was affected by a ring of car break-ins that targeted multiple locations in DeSoto County. Our security team immediately contacted the Southaven Police Department, and we are doing all we can to assist SPD with the investigation.”
Seth Kern of the Southaven Police Department says that both detectives and officers are actively working on the case. They hope that those who might have more information will contact the department at 662-253-9250 or at tips@southaven.org. For the time being, Baptist Desoto says that it’s going to increase security and will escort folks to their car if need be.
“As a precaution, our security team will be increasing campus security — which currently includes conducting regular security patrols, providing gated lots, ensuring our lots are well-lit, and using advanced technology, such as Flock Safety License Plate Reader cameras — to further protect our campus and deter future incidents. Our security staff will also escort patients, visitors and team members to their vehicles if requested.”
One witness that spoke to WREG Memphis claimed that the crimes were committed by a group of 15-20 children who were over the parking lot on Monday night. As of this writing, police haven’t made any statements about potential suspects.
