Imagine waking up on a Sunday morning to the sound of a crash. When you look outside to investigate which poor soul has to make a trip to the body shop, it’s your car’s entire back window that is broken, with a dinner plate as the perpetrator.

Megan Keller, junior in Education, understands this situation to a T.

Keller parks her car in the outdoor parking provided by Johnson Rentals, outside her apartment in Armory Towers at 308 E. Armory St. in Champaign. On Sept. 25 she woke up to find the broken glass in her backseat, and the situation behind it.

“I was surprised and frustrated and a little upset,” she said of finding out that someone had thrown a plate at her back window.

However, Keller said she has since discovered who broke the window, and the person is paying the deductible on her insurance to have it fixed.

“It was a drunken mistake,” she said. “But it’s a college town so I don’t expect much. I do think it’d be a smarter choice to park indoors.”

University police captain Skip Frost said alcohol use is a common factor in many instances of parking vandalism.

“Some (instances of vandalism) are personally motivated but a majority are completely random, most likely fueled by alcohol abuse, which is problematic at best,” he said.

Frost said the best defense against vandalism and theft is to roll up car windows and lock every door.

“It sounds so simple but you’d be surprised how many people don’t,” he said.

Champaign police spokeswoman Rene Dunn agreed with Frost, reminding car owners to keep valuables out of plain sight if they must be stored in a vehicle. Dunn said that if a car has been broken into, the sooner a report is filed, the better.

“Contact police right away if for some reason your car was broken into,” she said. “Things like fingerprints and the mess they left — try not to disturb them.”

Most rental companies and landlords do not assume responsibility for damages caused to vehicles parked in their parking areas. Cars vandalized outside apartments in Champaign or Urbana are referred to the police.

Although Keller does not plan on notifying Johnson Rentals, she does plan to get an indoor parking space for $20 more per month. After her experience with the insurance company and body shop, Keller said she prefers the quick fix to a police debacle.

“It’s kind of a matter of luck and location,” she said.