Lincoln Police say a rash of burglaries at local parks has carried over into the new year, and unsuspecting people going for a jog or walking their dog are the victims.

Police say there have been two new incidents of thieves breaking windows in cars and stealing things at local parks since January first, one at Holmes Park and one at Pioneers Park.

And for the victim in the Pioneers Park burglary, it isn't the first time she's been targeted. Rebecca Hughes of Ceresco likes to go for walks with her mom at Pioneers Park, but that changed on New Year's Day when, for the second time, thieves smashed her car window. This time, Hughes says she and her mother hid their purses in the trunk at home before they left, but the thieves found them.

"It was just unreal, and we just thought we were in a nightmare, when we we noticed it happened to us again in the same exact spot, " said Hughes.

Now, not only does Hughes have to pay to repair her car window again, she lost all her credit cards and a lot of money in gift cards from Christmas.

"I had everything in my purse. I had just gotten my iPod for Christmas, my camera, just everything, cell phone, keys, we had to have all our locks changed," Hughes said.

Police say thieves actually hideout near the parking lot watching as people leave their cars to go on their hike, then they break your window and take your belongings. Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady says this kind of theft has been prevalent in the Capital City for several years.

"They're actually conducting their own surveillance. They see you leave and run off down the trail and they know they've got 45 minutes or so that they can just wait until the coast is clear and just break your window out," said Casady.

But Casady says there are some things you can do to reduce your chance of being victimized.

"Make sure that there is nothing visible in your car from the outside. No laptop case, no purse, even something as simple as a cell phone or a pair of sunglasses can be attractive," Casady said.

That is a lesson Hughes and her mom would like to pass on.

"If you want to go for a walk, just have your keys and maybe your cell phone on you in case there's an emergency," said Hughes.

Lincoln Police say they are working on preventing this type of crime by adding extra patrols, talking to people at parks, and handing out flyers to raise awareness at other places where similar crimes occur, like fitness centers and dog runs.