# WARNING! Theft at Alum Creek



## Jordy24 (Mar 29, 2017)

I fished Alum creek from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM today. I pulled into my second location (the parking lot on the west side of the dam off of Lewis Center Road) around 12:50 and noticed there was a car with the window busted out of it. My initial thought was that someone left their car there overnight and it was broken into. I fished along the rocks for about half hour and went back to my truck. When I arrived in the parking lot I noticed a lady taking pictures of the car and she was on the Phone with 911. I waited to speak with her and she told me she had only been there for about 45 min. Within that time someone IN BROAD DAYLIGHT busted her window and stole her wallet. She said they had already made at least one charge to her card... I just wanted to make anyone who fishes or walks at Alum creek aware.


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## flounder (May 15, 2004)

The sucks! Thanks for the heads up.


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## Mark Copley (May 10, 2017)

Appreciate the heads up, that is pretty bold.


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Pretty common occurrence. Read just about any police blotter in central Ohio and you'll see it littered with items stolen from cars in parks, grocery store parking lots, and at the gym parking lot. Heck, a friend had a leaf blower stolen from back seat of his truck at Home Depot in broad daylight. The best way to avoid this is don't leave items of value in plain sight.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

Now thats wild... I fished today and parked at New Galena ramps... When I went to load up, I noticed someone had gone through my Suburban and had dumped a half bottle of pop all over the front seats. Nothing was missing as I keep nothing important. Although I had about 60 bucks worth of cigars that were not taken... They obviously dont know what they missed. I left about 3:30 3:45...

now that I think about it... Those cigars were in my glove box and when I got in the car they were on the seat... I think now, someone might have scared them off....


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## mocha (Sep 21, 2014)

need 20 bill and a beaver trap it would be fun to watch


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## Flatty01 (Aug 9, 2008)

Hey times are tough!


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## jray (Jan 20, 2006)

Got my window busted out last year at alum in daylight. Rifled through a bunch of junk papers and found absolutely nothing. 200 dollar box of stickbaits in the backseat left untouched. Still cost me 200 bucks for the window and has definitely effected where and when I fish. Just makes me sick


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## dgfidler (Sep 22, 2014)

Last summer, my son left his iPhone in our SUV in the center console. I forgot to lock it after launching the boat and it was gone. That particular day, I remember there being several park rangers walking around. These thieves are bold and seem to be pretty good at breaking into cars in broad daylight even with law enforcement around. If you think about it, they can watch you drive away in your boat. In my case, all they had to do was act like it was their own vehicle since I left it unlocked.


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## jray (Jan 20, 2006)

It's funny you mention about watching you walk away, the day I got hit I saw a van sitting in the same parking lot I was in. There was someone sitting/sleeping in the drivers seat when I walked past. At the time nothing appeared odd but in hindsight I guess it makes sense. Also last week i saw a bunch of glass at the galena ramp so I suppose no place is safe. I've considered leaving a note on my truck that says there's nothing of value inside but if you want to look for yourself just hope I'm not watching from the woods.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

I have two funny theft stories from when I was working at a Harbor Freight store.

Someone tried ramming a vehicle through the big back door in the warehouse. They knocked it out of its tracks and tore some of the frame off the wall - but the forklift was parked right there so they never got through. That must have felt pretty solid when they hit it.

The store takes returns of defective merchandise. Those go into big pallet-sized boxes and are sent back to the distribution center. One day we needed room in the warehouse so they stashed two of those boxes behind a shipping container for about two hours. Someone cleaned them out and got a big bunch of broken crap.

The Hayden Run park frequently has broken car glass in the lot.


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## jman (Jun 9, 2014)

We live in one of the developments on the east side of Alum. My neighbors knows a Delaware deputy. Ever since the outlet mall opened shoplifting has increased exponentially. Smash and grab technique is supposed to be very common up there. Not just at the outlet mall but surrounding businesses as well. Burglary and theft have also increased in our neighborhood. Deputy stated most of it is the vermin from Columbus that come up to the outlet and then see what's here and the new target opportunities available.

I fish from shore and walk my dog occasionally by the lake. Based on the comments above and the ilk from the outlet mall, it is the main reason I obtained my CCW license this past summer.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

FOSR said:


> The Hayden Run park frequently has broken car glass in the lot.


You think that has to do with the Homeless camp under the bridge? Im usually not one to bother / complain about the homeless, but that camp is getting sort of outrageous...


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## Snyd (May 5, 2004)

That sucks - Thanks for the heads up - I know when I leave the truck I always make sure there is nothing out on the seats to even entice someone.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

acklac7 said:


> You think that has to do with the Homeless camp under the bridge? Im usually not one to bother / complain about the homeless, but that camp is getting sort of outrageous...


It has been a while since I've been there and I haven't seen that camp. I'm surprised that the police are letting that happen.

The lot at Hayden seems very visible but that depends on the traffic. There are plenty of times when there is no one driving by, enough time to break a window with no one in sight. Anybody visiting the park is probably down in the gorge, out of view.

My avatar pic is from Hayden, before the boardwalk was installed.


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## n-strut (Apr 14, 2010)

Unfortunately this is becoming way to common. I’ve had my car gone through several times at home and my garage broke into and an atv stolen. Grove City PD caught them one time because they had stole our mail and they found it on them. They were two brothers with opioid addiction that live in the same neighborhood as me and got charged with felony theft because there was a check in the mail for my wife’s truck payment. Now I leave my vehicle unlocked with absolutely nothing in it to avoid the broken window.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Yeah theft of mail gets some pretty serious penalties.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

FOSR said:


> It has been a while since I've been there and I haven't seen that camp. I'm surprised that the police are letting that happen.
> 
> The lot at Hayden seems very visible but that depends on the traffic. There are plenty of times when there is no one driving by, enough time to break a window with no one in sight. Anybody visiting the park is probably down in the gorge, out of view.
> 
> My avatar pic is from Hayden, before the boardwalk was installed.


Makes two of us that are surprised.

You should see it down there, they have high-dollar Grills, ventilation systems, I mean the whole nine yards. You got me why the City is allowing it...


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## wallen34 (Nov 20, 2013)

acklac7 said:


> You think that has to do with the Homeless camp under the bridge? Im usually not one to bother / complain about the homeless, but that camp is getting sort of outrageous...


It is outrageous down there. Although one time the lady living there offered me a sandwich (which I politely declined). Back to the original topic I make sure to never leave anything valuable in my car and make sure nothing is in view, don't know if it helps or not though.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

I quit locking my vehicles years ago. Nothing in it. Nothing to steal. No broken windows to deal with.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

I'm the same, nothing valuable and never locked. My neighborhood (Lincoln Village) has a discussion board with very frequent reports of theft from vehicles. I haven't seen any signs of tampering with mine, like a door or console left open. But apparently they'll even steal loose change. Not much to gain in that but it beats working I guess.


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## lCAngler (Jan 14, 2017)

My son and I fished below the dam at Alum Friday late afternoon/early evening. 

I moved the truck partway through so I could watch it, and when I got out I realized I'd parked one space away from the following: small car with tinted windows and two guys sitting in it. They didn't look at me and didn't move at all as I got out. 

I walked down to fish, but kept an eye on my truck. Within a couple minutes a Delaware County sheriff's SUV pulled up and parked in the park roadway there, about 30 yards away facing the car. There they sat, two deputies just watching these guys for a good half hour. The guys in the car never moved, never started the car, nothing. The deputies finally started their car and drove past these two very slowly, staring at them. A couple minutes after that, the guys in the small car pulled away. They went east on Lewis Center Road, that's the last I saw of them.


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

Dovans said:


> I quit locking my vehicles years ago. Nothing in it. Nothing to steal. No broken windows to deal with.



Not a bad idea.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Sounds like law enforcement is aware of them. Maybe someone else called in a suspicious vehicle. They probably ran the plate while they were watching. It must have come up clean but I wonder if they can enter it into a database as suspicious and worth watching for, even if there isn't anything to get them on, yet.


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## cxl716 (Apr 8, 2014)

put them all into prison


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

Not locking your car doesn't always work. My Dad had a window broken out of two of his cars. If the crooks would have checked neither was even locked.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

Evinrude58 said:


> Not locking your car doesn't always work. My Dad had a window broken out of two of his cars. If the crooks would have checked neither was even locked.


True enough .. One time my car was broken into they used a slingshot to break the window. Police said they did it that way to see if there was a car alarm or if anyone heard it.


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## Terry Sheline 1 (Feb 8, 2017)

Jordy24 said:


> I fished Alum creek from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM today. I pulled into my second location (the parking lot on the west side of the dam off of Lewis Center Road) around 12:50 and noticed there was a car with the window busted out of it. My initial thought was that someone left their car there overnight and it was broken into. I fished along the rocks for about half hour and went back to my truck. When I arrived in the parking lot I noticed a lady taking pictures of the car and she was on the Phone with 911. I waited to speak with her and she told me she had only been there for about 45 min. Within that time someone IN BROAD DAYLIGHT busted her window and stole her wallet. She said they had already made at least one charge to her card... I just wanted to make anyone who fishes or walks at Alum creek aware.


Boat ramps have always been a big target for thieves, they have easy access to your vehicle,and they have a quick get away,smash and grab. They know that if it is locked that you have something valuable in there that you want to protect, I have a steel lock box with a chain running through my steel trunk support, by god if they want what is in it, they better bring some serious tools with them and hope that I don't catch them trying.


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## Trucked (Apr 6, 2004)

Jordy24 said:


> I fished Alum creek from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM today. I pulled into my second location (the parking lot on the west side of the dam off of Lewis Center Road) around 12:50 and noticed there was a car with the window busted out of it. My initial thought was that someone left their car there overnight and it was broken into. I fished along the rocks for about half hour and went back to my truck. When I arrived in the parking lot I noticed a lady taking pictures of the car and she was on the Phone with 911. I waited to speak with her and she told me she had only been there for about 45 min. Within that time someone IN BROAD DAYLIGHT busted her window and stole her wallet. She said they had already made at least one charge to her card... I just wanted to make anyone who fishes or walks at Alum creek aware.


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## Trucked (Apr 6, 2004)

Well, I'll tell ya Pilgrim, since my battle with cancer I have got a lot weaker. So I got my concealed carry. Only problem with that is in nice weather I don't conceal. Was at Spillway at Alum during June, had our Sedona Van with some tackle in back. Last/first parking spot, I was down 1st set of stairs, turned around and saw 20 something kid looking in side back window. I whistled, he looked, I put my hand on my holster and shook my head NO. He rode away on his bicycle. Don't know what to tell you guys. When I had the boat I left the truck in the lots like everyone


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## Trucked (Apr 6, 2004)

else. Guess I was lucky then or blessed.
G'night and God bless y'all.


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

Mocha, that would be great to see one get a hand or arm in a conobear .


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## hatteras1 (Jan 18, 2011)

I used to work retail in a store with a plumbing department. Every so often, items would be pulled for return to vendor. the merchandise would be marked at a penny, so you knew not to sell it. We had about 200 copper pipe fittings that were marked at a penny each..
Not to get ahead of myself, our store was very high theft at one point, and they would return the stolen merchandise for a store card, then redeem the card for cash. 
I said I would love to leave the copper sit out and let them run off with it. I would love to see their faces when they returned it. It would be like "Here is your merchandise card for $1.71"


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

The other day we caught a person taping Food item UPC's over non food item upcs so they could use their EBT card.


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## GMH (Nov 6, 2011)

Dovans said:


> I quit locking my vehicles years ago. Nothing in it. Nothing to steal. No broken windows to deal with.


Same here, I do not lock my vehicles. Additionally I have an 93 jeep that looks very used. The only thing I can suggest is we need to look out for one another while there. If you see something suspicious keep looking, it may make them think twice.


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## Trucked (Apr 6, 2004)

trucked said:


> else. Guess I was lucky then or blessed.
> G'night and God bless y'all.


If y'all can't get a CCarry then get a BB/pellet gun. Wear it out in plain site. Nothing wrong with that.


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Typical America now days!


Jordy24 said:


> I fished Alum creek from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM today. I pulled into my second location (the parking lot on the west side of the dam off of Lewis Center Road) around 12:50 and noticed there was a car with the window busted out of it. My initial thought was that someone left their car there overnight and it was broken into. I fished along the rocks for about half hour and went back to my truck. When I arrived in the parking lot I noticed a lady taking pictures of the car and she was on the Phone with 911. I waited to speak with her and she told me she had only been there for about 45 min. Within that time someone IN BROAD DAYLIGHT busted her window and stole her wallet. She said they had already made at least one charge to her card... I just wanted to make anyone who fishes or walks at Alum creek aware.


pi


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## Rick L Roop (Nov 15, 2017)

That sucks


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