PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
A suspected car prowler has been caught on camera breaking into vehicles at a southwest Portland restaurant.
Trish Lockhart, owner of The Sylvan Steakhouse, said it's happened dozens of times in the area over the past year and she is fed up.
"It just makes me want to cry, it's so frustrating," she said.
The targeted area of Sylvan Hill is tucked away from the main road and according to some of the local businesses, it has become a hot spot for thieves. It's something no family business wants to deal with.
"If you let crime go for so long, it just gets worse and worse and worse. And people know they are safe when they want to commit a crime, they go up here," Lockhart said.
On Friday, security cameras caught a suspected car prowler walking into Lockhart's restaurant.
"He had to get change and so we got a couple good shots of him," she said. "At one point, we've got one where he's lifting his hat so you can see what his hair looks like."
The man sits down and plays video poker while texting or talking on his cell phone almost the entire time.
"He'll leave the restaurant, he'll go and kind of case a car and kind of peak in," Lockhart said.
The man heads back to his truck and in broad daylight, pulls up next to the car, breaks the window, grabs the loot and drives off in his Chevrolet Silverado.
Lockhart said they have hired security to patrol and will be taking more steps to make this area a safer place.
"We're trying to put as much money into it as we can and as much manpower, just to be able to catch these guys and let them know we're not allowing it to happen again," she said.
Lockhart said they have filed a police report. If you have any information, call Portland Police at 503-823-3333.
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