Suspect caught on camera stealing thousands of dollars' worth of belongings from man's car

PHOENIX - A man in the Phoenix area was robbed while he was sleeping in his car, and the incident was caught on camera.

It happened along Camelback Road in the Biltmore area on the night of June 15. The victim, Andrew Lin, said he was in between apartments at the time, and intentionally chose where he parked because it is a busy area. He said some of the items taken from him are irreplaceable.

"Am I feeling a loss for my stuff, or just the innocence of it?" Lin said.

The theft was caught on restaurant cameras. The suspect, ignoring Lin fast asleep in the car, stole his backpack and took off. The backpack had a Canon camera, multiple SD cards, and art supplies.

"The video, I almost regretted even asking for it because it made me feel like I was victimized the second time," said Lin.

For Lin, it’s not about the monetary value of what was stolen.

"SD cards with years of photos. I kept thinking 'I'll back it up some time.' I never got around to it," said Lin.

Lin, who is an artist and a teacher at Rio Salado College, said the thief took his sense of security, as well as once-in-a-lifetime moments.

"Multiple years of photos," Lin said. "The lunar eclipse a few years ago, and then the recent solar eclipse."

The suspect wore what appeared to be a black hat with a white logo, a navy shirt and dark pants. Anyone with information is asked to contact Phoenix Police.