EDITOR’S NOTE: The address of this incident will not be revealed to protect the victims.

A thief made off with almost $78,000 after breaking into an auto and taking cash from the console.

According to an East Ridge Police Department report, an officer was called to the residence early Monday morning in regards to “suspicious activity.” The victim told dispatch that her car alarm was going off and wanted police to check the area.

When an officer arrived at about 4:30 a.m., the report noted he heard no car alarm sounding. The victim and her husband told the officer that the alarm had been sounding for five minutes prior to her shutting it off a couple minutes before police arrived.

The officer walked to the vehicle with the victims and noted “papers and objects all over the vehicle, and the driver’s side door to have scratches around the door handle area,” the report states. However, the scratches did not appear to be related to any forced entry.

According to the report, the victim looked through the scattered papers and told the officer that she had $78,000 in two envelopes in the center console. The officer saw an envelope with $364 “halfway out of the envelope on the passenger’s seat.” The victim said that $77,636 was missing.

The report goes on to say that the victim told the officer she looked out her front window and saw nothing when the car alarm was blaring. The victim told police that she owns a “service money transfer” business in Chattanooga and that the stolen cash belonged to her clients.

The report states that officers spoke with neighbors, one of whom had a security camera. The camera footage showed nothing out of the ordinary. One neighbor said she heard a car alarm, while a second did not.

The responding officer turned the scene over to the criminal investigations division for processing and further investigation.

The report states there is no suspect information at this time.