Felony Lane Gang Targeting St. Petersburg Motorists

St. Petersburg Police want to stop members of the Felony Lane Gang in their tracks as they prey on local residents in an effort to steal not only money, but also identities.

To make that happen, however, police need local residents to pitch in and help by keeping valuables out of their vehicles and most especially out of plain sight.

The infamous auto burglary ring called the Felony Lane Gang is noted for leasing rental cars out of South Florida and driving them to other areas to stake out schools, parks and gyms, police spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez said.

“They wait for women, in most cases, to park their cars and leave without their purses,” she wrote in an email to media. “Then, they smash the glass and grab the purses.”

Unfortunately, the victimization doesn’t end there.

“Weeks after the initial hit, the women learn they are victims of identity theft as the thieves use their credit cards and try to cash checks,” Fernandez said.

With 18 cases on the books since Aug. 1, St. Petersburg Police are asking women to keep their valuables with them even if they’ll only be out of their vehicles for a minute or two.

The recent cases have occurred at a number of parks within the city, including Walter Fuller Park and Jungle Prada Park, Fernandez said.

The gang, which also targets other states, as well, gets its name from its use of drive-thru bank lanes located farthest from security cameras and tellers to pass checks they’ve stolen.

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