NewsTreasure CoastRegion Martin CountyPalm City

Actions

Smash and grab victim wants security cameras at I-95 rest stops

Posted at 8:10 PM, Aug 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-10 07:35:08-04

A smash and grab at an Interstate 95 rest stop has left a woman demanding security changes.

Julie Gardner was at the mile marker 106 rest stop in Martin County, heading toward West Palm Beach for a meeting. 

"I get out of my car, I locked the door with a code on the outside, and I walked inside. Maybe two minutes, whole time walking in and out," said Gardner.

But during that two minutes, someone decided to break into her car.

"I opened up the door, I thought my windshield cracked because there was glass all over it," said Gardner. 

It was 9:15 Thursday morning, broad daylight.

"My purse was down here in the corner with my shoes on the right hand," said Gardner as she showed us the inside of her car.

He took it. That purse had her passport and credit cards.

"What is he going to do with my information?" said Gardner.

What was more shocking, was that apparently, this was nothing new, according to people who work there.

"The land maintenance for the lawn showed up and they were saying, let’s go down, look in the ditch, we find three or four purses down there a week, all the time."

We called the Florida Department of Transportation, who is responsible for the rest stops.

The department tells us none of the rest stops have security cameras because it is their policy not to record video or conduct video surveillance. 

They say this incident will not change that.