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Police Show How Quickly a Car Theft Can Happen to Warn Owners

Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie did it in 60 seconds in the movie by the same name, but in reality, a car theft can happen in considerably less time.
Police show CCTV of 20-second car theft to warn owners 20 photos
Photo: Facebook / Moline PD
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All it takes is a few seconds of inattention on the part of the owner for the thieves to jump in and drive off with the vehicle. To show this, the Moline Police Department in Illinois is releasing CCTV footage of their 39th car theft this year.

In the grainy video, which is also available at the bottom of the page, a Ford SUV is seen rolling in at a gas station. It’s actually a stolen car and it carries suspects looking for their next victim.

“The silver Ford SUV is a stolen car, dropping off the offender to steal the black Chevy that was left unattended and running,” the PD says in a post on the official Facebook page.

A passenger jumps out of the SUV and runs to the Chevy, gets inside and both vehicles drive off. By the time the Chevy owner noticed that their car was missing, it was long gone – and they probably thought they could just “pop inside” the gas station to buy a little something or pay for gas and nothing would happen if they left the engine running.

That’s the worst possible assumption because car thieves are counting on you thinking this way. The key to deterring them from taking your vehicle is in your pocket, the PD continues.

Please remember to lock your cars and take the keys with you. Don’t leave your vehicles running and unattended,” the post continues. “These thieves are quick and their pursuit of victim vehicles is relentless.”

On that note, also make sure you never leave valuables in sight, so as to deter thieves from breaking into your car to steal them.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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