Purses left in vehicles at Western Massachusetts gyms and health clubs have been a target, police said.
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EAST LONGMEADOW – Police are searching for a man suspected in a rash of vehicle break-ins, mostly at area gyms and health clubs, in a number of Western Massachusetts communities.
Police here and in Belchertown, Northampton, Palmer, Springfield and Westfield have working together to investigate the break-ins in which purses containing credit cards have been a common target.
Sgt. Patrick T. Manley said surveillance video from a vehicle break-in at Century Fitness on North Main Street earlier this month has led to a suspect in the case who is believed to have driving a green Ford Explorer while committing a number of the break-ins.
Police traced that Explorer to a woman in Westfield who had some type of relationship with the suspect, Manley said.
“He is not in her good graces any more and he doesn’t have access to the vehicle and his whereabouts are unknown,” Manley said.
Some of the credit cards have been used at area stores to purchase gift cards and the like and police have been analyzing surveillance photographs of the transactions in an effort to determine his identity, Manley said.
The suspect is described as a heavy-set black male, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 tall, Manley said.