Thief breaks into woman’s car as she visited niece’s grave at Covina cemetery

By Eric Resendiz

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    COVINA, California (KABC) — About once a month, Yesenia Curiel goes to the Forest Lawn cemetery in Covina to visit her niece’s grave.

She parks her car just a few feet away and walks over to leave fresh flowers. Curiel has been doing this for the past 20 years, but her most recent visit took a bad turn when someone broke into her vehicle, stealing two laptops and multiple credit cards – and she witnessed it all.

“Being by myself, I was just really shocked,” said Curiel. “I look up because I hear something. I see a body stretched out in the back seat like they’re getting things, and then I have my mom on the phone, and I’m kind of screaming at them, ‘What are you doing?'”

Curiel said she locked her car but the thief was able to get in by shattering her back window. He jumped into the passenger seat of a getaway car and took off, according to Curiel.

She said she wasn’t able to get a clear look at what the thief and the driver looked like, but said they were two men wearing dark clothing who drove off in a tan Nissan sedan.

Soon after the crime, Curiel faced with another problem.

“Maybe 15, 20 minutes of them leaving, they already started charges on my credit cards,” she said. “As law enforcement is talking to me, I am getting calls from the credit companies.”

Curiel said fortunately, all of the charges were declined. As for the repairs to her car, Curiel said that’s all going to cost her about $5,000. She’s sharing her story to warn others to stay vigilant and to always be aware of your surroundings.

“I just don’t want this to happen to other individuals. I just want to make sure that folks understand that not even at the cemetery, where we come to find peace, tranquility, we still need to be very alert,” said Curiel.

ABC7 reached out to Forest Lawn Cemetery for a statement, but has not heard back.

Meanwhile, anyone with information is urged to contact authorities.

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