Car thieves keeping busy

Police urge motorists to lock cars|

After reports of three vehicles stolen in the same week, officials are urging motorists to lock their vehicles and don’t keep a spare key in an obvious place.

According to Sgt. Mechelle Buchignani, with the Sonoma Police Department, one vehicle was reported stolen on Jan. 24 and two others on Jan. 27. All were recovered, but Buchignani wasn’t sure what sort of shape they were in.

On Jan. 24, a motorist parked his car in front of Park Point at about 5 a.m., and when he returned at 6, it was gone. The man wasn’t sure if his 2002 Toyota Tacoma was locked, but he had the keys with him. The car was later recovered in Marin County.

On Jan. 27, a resident in the 400 block of Chase Street reported that sometime overnight, someone absconded with his car. The vehicle was unlocked and the keys reportedly were inside.

Not only was the man’s car stolen, but also some credit cards that he had left in the vehicle. One of the credit cards turned up at a U-Haul Rental in Vallejo, Buchignani said. Vallejo police tracked down the man in the video and arrested for possession of stolen property – the credit cards.

That vehicle too was recovered.

About four hours later, a resident of the 600 block of First Street West reported that his vehicle was stolen sometime between Jan. 18 and Jan. 27 while he was on vacation.

He told police that his 2005 Toyota Tundra was locked when he left it. That vehicle was also recovered.

Buchignani reminds motorists to lock their cars and don’t leave a spare key somewhere on the vehicle. “The bad guys know where to look,” she said

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