Serial Stroller Thief Caught!

[AEfx]

http://www.travelpulse.com/news/imp...t-becoming-an-issue-at-major-theme-parks.html

Stroller Theft Becoming an Issue at Major Theme Parks

A Florida woman has been charged with theft after she allegedly used her young child to steal an expensive stroller at Disney World and sell it online.

According to ABC Action News, Michelle Craig of Spring Hill allegedly was photographed stealing a high-end stroller from outside a ride at Hollywood Studios on April 15, which belonged to the victim, Lauren Collazo.

The Bugaboo stroller had an estimated value of $1,800 but also had Collazo’s car keys, wallets and her niece's EpiPen underneath. Collazo was stranded at the theme park and was forced to call her husband, who flew from Miami to assist.

Orange County detectives issued an arrest warrant for Craig on a charge of Grand Theft, and she turned herself into the Hernando County Sheriff's Office last week. Police confirmed they are investigating Craig in relation to other luxury stroller thefts at Disney.

ABC Action News discovered that Craig had been selling numerous high-end strollers on her Facebook page, along with designer purses and diaper bags.

When the theft became a major topic on social media, a woman from Texas contacted Collazo after she reportedly purchased the stolen stroller from Craig. The unidentified woman claims the stroller even had the tie wraps where Collazo’s name was written when it was stolen.

This incident hits a chord for many parents who visit theme parks across the United States, as guests are forced to leave their strollers in designated areas throughout the attractions. The theft highlights just how susceptible these items are.

Disney and other theme parks must begin looking at how they secure and monitor areas where strollers are left unattended.

 

[Herbie]

Pitiful.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

"Disney and other theme parks must begin looking at how they secure and monitor areas where strollers are left unattended."

So what's the solution? Stroller lockers? Stroller security?

Maybe it's not the best idea to leave your wallet or car keys in the stroller.

 

[KrzyKtty]

Glad I'm only bringing an old stroller with us.

 

[mergatroid]

Ban kids, problem solved

If you're reading this Disney, I'm available for hire to solve all your problems.

 

[peter11435]

Maybe it's not the best idea to leave your wallet or car keys in the stroller.

Or to spend $1800 on a stroller. Nobody needs that.

 

[GhostHost1000]

I'm sorry but I would NOT bring a stroller with that insane value attached to it anywhere that I leave it behind

Glad they caught the person though

 

[Coolneal]

"Disney and other theme parks must begin looking at how they secure and monitor areas where strollers are left unattended."

So what's the solution? Stroller lockers? Stroller security?

Maybe it's not the best idea to leave your wallet or car keys in the stroller.

We need to create a boot for strollers .. Disney can rent them for $10 per day.

 

[AEfx]

"Disney and other theme parks must begin looking at how they secure and monitor areas where strollers are left unattended."

So what's the solution? Stroller lockers? Stroller security?

Maybe it's not the best idea to leave your wallet or car keys in the stroller.

That was my first thought as well. Who in their right mind brings an $1800 stroller on vacation, and leaves all their valuables in it? That doesn't give any excuse whatsoever for the thief, but come on. Even if you feel you need the Cadillac, you don't leave it with the windows down and all your valuables sitting out on the seat. Disney has no responsibility to monitor stupid.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Or to spend $1800 on a stroller. Nobody needs that.

Crazy I know and we certainly could not afford that, but for those who can why not. The stupidity was leaving all the money etc. in it more than buying the stroller itself. Thankfully this is pretty rare.

 

[WDWBigEd]

I always worry about our stroller "taking off" on us. We never leave anything in the stroller, but we also make sure our name is clearly marked in permanent marker in many visible areas. We hope this deter a thief.

 

[peter11435]

Crazy I know and we certainly could not afford that, but for those who can why not. The stupidity was leaving all the money etc. in it more than buying the stroller itself. Thankfully this is pretty rare.

Sure leaving those valuables in the stroller was the biggest issue, but I still think purchasing an $1800 stroller is stupid too. I could afford it, but just because you can doesn't mean you should.

That said it doesn't excuse what this women did and I'm sorry this family had to go through that.

 

[Bolt]

'Flew in from Miami to help' - just rent a car and drive home.

 

[mousehockey37]

Who would bring such a stroller? I mean, I understand from going by the lots of parked strollers that yes, everyone has the same stroller. They all look alike.

They should have an MDE Stroller valet. You go to a designated area for stroller parking, give it to the CM, they give you a ticket (scannable to your MB/MDE). They place the sticker bar code on the stroller and park it. You have to prove via MB or stub that the stroller is yours upon pickup. They could also do this when you check-in at your resort. Some sort of barcode sticker on every stroller is probably the only way to do it. You would also have to scan the stroller when leaving the parks, ie to make sure it's yours. It'd be an extra PITA, but knowing you're leaving with your stroller is a good piece of mind.

 

[JoeCamel]

'Flew in from Miami to help' - just rent a car and drive home.

Didn't have a wallet and presumably CCs.

 

[JoeCamel]

Wonder what CMs thought with her leaving the park pushing a stroller and no kid in it?

 

[mousehockey37]

Wonder what CMs thought with her leaving the park pushing a stroller and no kid in it?

There's enough people that use strollers down there as shopping carts and in-park luggage that they probably didn't think twice about it. No kid? Dad took the kid to the restroom for a diaper change or is already outside of the park headed back to the hotel. Pretty easy to make up a believable excuse for that.

 

[AEfx]

Wonder what CMs thought with her leaving the park pushing a stroller and no kid in it?

She actually had her kid with her. Though that said, I'm sure a lot of parents run a stroller out to the car or something, so it wouldn't be that unusual.

 

[AEfx]

I always worry about our stroller "taking off" on us. We never leave anything in the stroller, but we also make sure our name is clearly marked in permanent marker in many visible areas. We hope this deter a thief.

I hear putting a dirty (or seemingly dirty) diaper on it does wonders, as well. I've actually heard tell of someone doing just that, with a melted chocolate bar.

 

[mousehockey37]

She actually had her kid with her. Though that said, I'm sure a lot of parents run a stroller out to the car or something, so it wouldn't be that unusual.

Yeah, that's always the fun of getting a bus to the resort at park closing. There's always 1 or 2 strollers at the bus stop waiting to board where the kids are hung around dads neck or something and the stroller has all of the loot of the day in it. The hilarity ensues though when the bus driver tells them that they need to fold it up, and they don't have enough open arms....