Neighbors say people are entering cars, sleeping in vehicles near Methadone Mile

BOSTON — Neighbors living near the corridor known widely as Methadone Mile tell Boston 25 some people have been breaking into vehicles for a comfortable place to sleep.

At least four residents of Roxbury and South End describe similar accounts this month.

Angelina Camacho said the revelation she woke up to outside her Roxbury home was upsetting.

She believes she accidentally left her car door unlocked before heading to bed earlier this month.

“When I came out, I saw the rear door was open. Pretty much everything in the car was a mess,” said Camacho. “What they really ended up doing was taking the back cover down. It looked like they were using it to sleep in.”

Camacho said an abundance of snacks she had left in the vehicle for her son’s sporting event had been devoured.

“They ate things like uncrustable sandwiches, granola bars, stuff for the kids. They also drank the water in the car,” said Camacho. “They had to be very desperate to risk being seen and caught.”

The Roxbury mother said the person or persons who entered her car likely spent most of the night inside the vehicle.

She said the items of the highest value were not stolen from the car, leading her to believe that the suspect’s main priority was survival.

“When people are brought to the brink of desperation, there’s no telling what they might do,” said Camacho. “Beside the initial shock and sadness, I had to realize this is beyond me. This is about all of our residents and our visitors who are suffering.”

The pandemic has led to an unprecedented surge in people living on the streets of Boston.

Since March, many public buildings and businesses where homeless people previously could spend their days or use bathrooms have been closed.

Camacho said she filed a police report not because she expects an arrest in the case. Rather, she said she wants to help make law enforcement and city officials aware of the scope of the crisis.

She said her insurance covered a deep sanitation of the car after the incident.

In the future, Camacho said she’ll be making sure her car doors are locked and won’t be leaving anything inside the vehicle.

Cox Media Group