SAN DIEGO —
While thefts are common in Pacific Beach, not all of them are caught on camera. However, one particularly brazen thief was caught on camera in broad daylight.
A Pacific Beach man who had nearly $4,000 worth of cash and items stolen from his car Thursday says he's tired of crime in the area and he's not alone. It happened outside his business on Garnet Avenue near Gresham Street.
If you look at the video, you can see that thief wearing dark clothing, sunglasses and a ponytail carrying a box full of stuff.
Minutes later, the person returns in a Silver Toyota and goes back for more.
"I go back inside and then this dude was going through my car,” said Steve Pure, the victim.
Admittedly, he left his car unlocked after forgetting something inside his shop.
He was gone for less than ten minutes. That was enough time for the thief to grab Pure’s Nikon camera, which included sentimental photos, a camera bag, tripod, clothing, dash cam, and $2,000 in cash he was on his way to deposit at the bank.
"I'm just lost right now,” said Pure. “I'm just trying to figure out what to do."
Pure says he wasn't the only one hit that day. His neighbor had his packages stolen around the same time. neighbors have cameras set up to prevent these types of crimes, but they say nothing seems to be working.
It's a source of contention in the area. PB residents have long complained of what they call a “crime problem.” It’s everything from packages and bikes getting stolen to sex assaults and public drug use.
Statistics show PB ranked number 2 in the city for violent crimes alone. For theft, it was number one with 512 cases.
It just happens all the time and you can't do anything about it,” said Pure.
News 8 was able to identify a license plate from the thief’s car on the video and passed that information on to police. However, as of Friday evening, police haven’t made any arrests. Regardless of any legal outcome, Pure is hoping for his stuff back.