More than 30 vehicles vandalized in smash and grabs

By Danielle Jackson

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    NASHVILLE (WSMV) — Parking lots around Nashville are no stranger to smash and grabs, but one midtown community was just hit hard.

Dozens of residents woke up this morning to find their windows shattered and their belongings stolen from the parking garage at 1818 Church Street.

Glass litters the garage and people who live here say at least 50 cars were smashed into overnight. Car owners tell us the thieves had to break into this gated parking garage late overnight into the early part of the morning. News4 crews were there are Metro Police came into the complex to take more reports from people who got hit.

We spoke with a woman who lives here and says this entire situation is frustrating especially since two of her cars were damaged.

“Both of our vehicles had been smashed. Two windows on my husband’s truck and one on my car. Glass everywhere, and we live on the first floor where our door backs up to a parking spot where a truck was broken into, so it’s insane to think that somebody was able to get into 30-40 cars and nobody heard anything,” Rachel Shaft, a resident told us.

The apartment complex garage is gated and secure, but it didn’t stop thieves from getting in.

“I got in my car, and my stuff was open, and there was stuff everywhere. I was like, okay maybe my sister was in my car last night, then I looked over and I see there was a little bit of glass. I looked over and noticed my back window was completely smashed in crumbles everywhere,” Codi Smith, who lives on the property said.

Several of the residents on the property told us that the apartment complex is under new management and says if there was security on the property this could have all been avoided.

“Feeling safe is more important than the money that we’re spending on fixing our cars. Honestly, I feel like management should be liable for that – not having security here that we pay for. We pay a lot of money to live here and that’s a hardship we should not have to take on,” Rachel Shaft said.

Metro Police took multiple police reports from residents this afternoon.

Nashville has seen an uptick in smash and grabs this year, after police say more than 500 guns were stolen from cars.

On Friday morning, over 20 vehicles were broken into outside a hotel near the airport. Metro Police has not indicated that two incidents are related.

Shaft says she hopes that the complex’s management does something about the safety and security.

“I really hope the new management company that took over is going to address this and do something for us. That’s a lot of people that are affected by this, by their poor choice in not having security around,” Shaft said.

News4 has reached out to the owner of the complex and are waiting to hear back.

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