Detroit police officers are investigating thefts that occurred during a breast cancer walk downtown on Saturday, Detroit News reported.
Authorities said a man unassociated with the event used a pink bandana to direct drivers into a parking lot where he later broke burglarized at least a dozen vehicles during the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.
Detroit Police Sgt. Michael Woody said officers will conduct heavier patroling at similar events in the future to prevent further burglaries.
"We're going to make our patrols commensurate with the activity," Woody said. "We're also working with the Licensing Bureau to determine who's registered to park cars."
He also added that situations where people pose as parking lot attendants during charity events are not rare.
"We need to make sure we identify people trying to illegally flag cars into lots, and cite them accordingly," he said. Authorities can cite violaters "for misdemeanor defrauding; or for operating a parking lot without a permit, which is a civil infraction. It's a $150 fine for the first offense, up to a $500 fine and jail time for a third offense."
No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
Although the burglaries were an unfortunate part of the charity event, the American Cancer Society said the 4,269 participants in the walk managed to raise $441, 978.67.
In Florida, the same breast cancer event was making headlines after a participant got trapped on a rising drawbridge in Fort Lauderdale. The unidentified woman, 55, held onto the bridge for nearly half an hour before firefighters came to her rescue.
"To tell you the truth, honestly I thought it was probably like a stunt or something, it was just that unbelievable. I really didn't think she honestly was trapped up there at first," said witness Ashanicka Powell, who said she was "on the solid side" of the tracks.
Another witness, Philip Glazebrook, said he was shocked the woman made it across the bridge since a loud warning comes on before it rises.
"This bridge is controlled from Tallahassee. There's not a bridge minder here anymore," Glazebrook said. "So she's stuck on the bridge and she's going up. The next thing is, she's stuck, straddled like Jesus Christ."
