DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A string of car thefts in three hours early Tuesday in Decatur brought to light a problem that comes back each winter.Â
There were eight vehicles stolen in Decatur from about 4:09 a.m. Tuesday to 7:14 a.m., Sgt. Brandon Rolfs told WAND News. They happened in multiple areas in Decatur and most had one thing in common - the owner had left the car running unattended to warm up.Â
Rolfs sent a loud and clear message strongly encouraging people to not do this, as it makes things easier for criminals and could potentially endanger the public. He said suspects will sometimes use stolen cars to commit crimes, use them to get away from police and then potentially crash them, causing harm to others.Â