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Thefts of unlocked cars prompt caution by police
(by Sue Reid - September 02, 2009)
Thefts of unlocked cars prompt caution by police
By SUE REID
The thefts of two cars from unlocked garages in two Solon neighborhoods overnight Sunday brought words of caution from police.
In both of the incidents, cars were left unlocked, according to police. In one of them, the keys were left inside, and, in the other, a purse with the keys inside was left in an unlocked garage.
Detective Lt. Christopher P. Viland said Tuesday that residents should lock their vehicles in their drives and garages and take their car keys and wallets inside with them at night.
In an incident reported at 9:57 a.m. Aug. 30, a resident of Meadow Lane told police her 2005 BMW X3, valued at $20,000, was stolen from her driveway sometime overnight. She said she had left her purse containing the car keys on a bench in the garage.
Police said a credit card in her purse was used at a Solon gas station at 6:32 the next morning. At approximately 11:36 a.m., officers located the stolen vehicle parked behind apartments on Aurora Road (Route 43). Residents in the apartments said they saw a man in the vehicle and provided police with an identification.
Douglas Price, 46, of Solon, was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, a felony of the fourth degree, burglary, a felony of the second degree, and misuse of a credit card, a felony of the fourth degree.
At 7:15 p.m. Aug. 31, a resident of Capilano Drive that someone entered his unlocked garage and stole his 1999 Mercedes E55, valued at $25,000, the previous night. The keys were left in the vehicle, according to the report.
After entering the vehicle information into the computer system, police said, it was recovered by Youngstown police overnight in that city.
It had slight damage, and the air bag was deployed, according to the report.
In another incidents on Aug. 31, police said, an excavator was stolen, and there was an attempt to steal a dump truck.
At 12:20 a.m., police were called to TLC Landscaping-Park Place Nursery on Aurora Road, where the steering column had been peeled from a dump truck. Although the truck was not stolen, an excavator valued at $25,000 was missing.
The excavator was recovered in the middle of the Signature of Solon Golf Course, police said, and some damage was done to the course.
At 7:39 p.m. Aug. 31, police received a report of the theft of a global-positioning system valued at $450 from a vehicle parked on Portrush Drive. The owner told police his vehicle was parked in the drive and unlocked.
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