By Brooke Curley
brooke@gilavalleycentral.net
SAFFORD- Whether just stopping by to pay a visit, or leaving your vehicle momentarily in a yard, one victim learned the hard way to keep their vehicle keys close.
The Kempton Chevrolet Buick vehicle dealership in Safford was an unlikely, but an apparently opportunistic location for vehicle theft. Authorities were called to the Kempton dealership on Thursday in reference to a stolen vehicle. When the officers arrived, they spoke to the victim, who said that he went to the dealership to visit with a friend. While he was visiting a friend, he parked his vehicle in the dealership service area. However, when he went inside the dealership he left his keys in the vehicle.
When the victim returned to where his vehicle had been parked, it was gone. The service manager checked with all of the dealership employees, and no one was able to locate the vehicle. Although the staff attempted to use OnStar to locate the vehicle, it was not activated before the vehicle theft and was therefore useless. The victim was given a victims right and a stolen vehicle agreement affidavit.
6 Ways to Avoid Getting Your Car Stolen
Keep track of your keys. Keep your keys on you, and keep track of duplicate keys.
Secure your vehicle. Roll up your windows when you leave your vehicle, and always lock your doors.
Park intelligently. It is always best to park in well-lit areas, but parking next to building entrances and video cameras helps immensely in theft prevention.
Valuables don’t belong in your vehicle. Take your purse, and electronics, out of the car. Even loose change can be an attractant to a desperate individual.
Don’t leave your car running. Nearly half of all auto thefts could have been easily avoided if the vehicle owner took reasonable precautions, such as turning the car off when not in use.
Source: Safewise.com
