The break-ins in Fairmount happened around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday and stretched across several blocks, according to police. Authorities said at least 20 cars were damaged. Sources said they are questioning possible suspects and they believe teenagers were responsible.
"My driver's side window was broken and so was a bunch of other people's on the street," said Jennifer Giblin, a Fairmount resident.
Surveillance video from a neighbor's security camera on the 2200 block of Parrish Street shows a white car pulling up before a man wearing a hood approaches an SUV. Moments later, another person is seen smashing the window of a second vehicle and attempting to climb inside.
"Whoever being perpetrated with all of the cameras people have should be identified," said Fairmount resident Frank Paipa.
Additional surveillance video shows suspects smashing another car window before climbing inside the vehicle.
"I don't really have much in that car, but I had like $40 that they stole, but they kept a bag of change," said Fairmount resident Bernardine Mann.
Philadelphia City Councilmember Jeffrey Young visited the neighborhood Wednesday to meet with residents affected by the break-ins.
"What we're hearing is there were a couple of juveniles basically riding down this block and randomly breaking windows, sometimes rummaging through the vehicle, but there are suspects," Young said.
Several miles away in Overbrook, residents also discovered their vehicles had been broken into around 4 a.m.
"They tried to do the front one, and I guess they couldn't do that and did the back one, so now I have two windows and my husband's window," said Overbrook resident Sandra Dennis-Tatum.
Surveillance video from the 1100 block of 65th Street shows multiple people getting out of a white car and a dark-colored car before breaking vehicle windows.
"It was teenagers; they were teenagers pulling up their pants. We need to find something for the youth to do," Dennis-Tatum said.
Police are investigating whether the break-ins in the Fairmount area and Overbrook are connected.