Boca Raton Woman Arrested For Attempting to Break Into Vehicles

Bethanie Joy Cairns (Photo: Palm Beach County Jail)

A 38-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday after she allegedly attempted to break into multiple vehicles in a Boca Raton parking lot using a scooter key, according to a police report.

Bethanie Joy Cairns, of Boca Raton, faces two counts of unarmed burglary of an unoccupied conveyance. According to a report filed in court this week, Boca Raton police officers responded to a report of a suspicious person at approximately 3:58 p.m. on Thursday at a parking lot located at 2000 N. Dixie Highway. Dispatchers were initially told a woman wearing a black crop top, shorts, and glasses was walking through the lot and pulling on car doors.

Upon arrival, an officer spotted a woman matching the description — described as wearing a black crop top and pink lingerie shorts — emerging from nearby bushes onto the sidewalk. Police said the woman, later identified as Cairns, ducked back into the hedges and retreated into the parking lot when she spotted the marked patrol vehicle. When the officer stopped her, Cairns allegedly had a vehicle key in her hand. The arresting officer noted in the report that she had previous encounters with Cairns related to narcotics.

According to the arrest affidavit, a witness who was standing on a second-floor balcony holding a newborn grandchild saw Cairns walk up to a white Kia SUV and insert a key into the driver’s side door. Knowing the woman did not have permission to access the vehicle, the witness quickly alerted the SUV’s owner, who went outside and began recording the incident on her phone. The video footage reportedly captured Cairns approaching multiple vehicles and attempting to unlock the driver’s side doors with the key. She then moved on to a new vehicle each time a door failed to open. Both vehicle owners told police they did not know Cairns.

Following the investigation, Cairns allegedly gave conflicting accounts to police, the report said. She first claimed she found the key, then stated someone gave it to her, adding that she was looking for a Mercedes. When asked why she was trying to open other vehicles, she denied doing so, prompting the officer to mention the video evidence. When the officer asked why the key she was using was labeled “Vespa” if she was purportedly looking for a Mercedes, Cairns claimed someone was trying to “set her up.”

Carins was lodged in the Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of $6,000 combined bail for the two auto burglary charges.