21 October 2020
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. (KMOV.com) — John McIntosh woke up Sunday morning to find his Toyota Sienna minivan and Toyota Yaris missing from the driveway.
Both had been stolen overnight from in front of their home in the Strawberry Ridge subdivision in Arnold.
“I was devastated and I know that my wife was as well,” he said.
Jefferson County set a record in 2019 with 363 stolen vehicles. It’s on pace to break that record in 2020, having recorded 358 stolen vehicles already this year.
“It doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down,” said Grant Bissell with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The problem with vehicle thefts is a regional issue. In Jefferson County vehicle thefts are up 16% this year over the same time last year. In St. Louis County, car thefts are also up 16% compared to the same time in 2019. The City of St. Louis has seen a 6% increase in vehicle thefts this year.
Neighbors’ doorbell cameras recorded video of the thieves stealing the McIntosh’s vehicles and then using their minivan to go through the neighborhood stealing items from unlocked cars. John McIntosh said it was infuriating and saddening to see in one video the thieves throwing out his daughter’s car seat from the stolen minivan.
“To see the ease at which it was discarded just hours before it was holding the most precious thing to me in my life. It’s really, really unnerving,” said McIntosh.
Bissell said the public can significantly reduce the number of car thefts if people will be sure to take their keys and lock the doors when they park their cars. In Jefferson County this year, he said, 43% of the vehicles stolen by a stranger had the keys left in them.
Law enforcement also warns drivers not to leave their cars warming up on a cold morning, without someone in it.
Source: kmov.com