Van theft turns family vacation to Atlanta into heartbreak

ATLANTA - A vacation ends in desperation after a crook steals a Florida family’s van while they were taking in the sights not far from Centennial Olympic Park. An Atlanta business owner said car break-ins and theft happen around there all too often.

Joriane Horning, her husband and their kids drove up from Florida over the weekend to watch their son play in a soccer tournament in Athens. They decided to take an excursion to Atlanta.

"We spent an extra day up here to come see the Georgia Aquarium," Horning said.

The Hornings parked in a lot on Marietta Street on Monday morning and went into the Georgia Aquarium. Then, as they ate lunch, they got news no one wants to hear, especially not on vacation.

"We started getting text messages from our credit card companies about fraudulent charges," Horning said.

Her husband’s wallet was in the van.

"My husband ran to the parking lot," Horning said, adding that the news went from bad to worse. "It’s not just my wallet in the car. He says the entire van is gone our van is no longer here."

Surveillance video shows a guy pop the lock on Horning’s van and drive off.

A local business owner, who didn’t want to reveal his name, said his surveillance camera recorded the theft in progress.

"Usually you just see break-ins. I’ve never seen someone taking a car," the business owner said

He said he called 911 just before 11 a.m.

"We told them that he’s sitting in the car, he turned the car on, and that’s when we realize he’s going to take the car. He backed up, took it away," business owner said.

His camera caught some other crooks smashing the window of another van in the afternoon. He said criminals break-in to cars around regularly in his neighborhood with few consequences.

"It’s very bad. It’s scary to be out here," he said.

Horning and her family were left scrambling to figure out what to do.

"How am I going to get to Florida? I have no way to get back there now," they asked.

Police said officers arrived just moments after the first break-in. FOX 5 saw them here later after the second break-in.

Horning said her family will have to rent a van for nearly $1,000 to get home.