Category: Auto Theft News

CAÑON CITY, Colo. — A vehicle stolen from a Colorado Springs homicide victim was found in Cañon City Tuesday, according to police.
Cañon City police said around 1:45 a.m. Tuesday, an officer spotted a “suspicious vehicle” in the parking lot of the Walmart. The officer tried to pull the vehicle over, but it left the area. Police investigated further and learned the vehicle was stolen, and was wanted in connection with a homicide investigation in Colorado Springs.
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DENVER – Coloradans Against Auto Theft and Colorado Auto Theft Investigators once again teamed up for this year’s “Puffer Week.”
The week-long statewide awareness and enforcement push aims to educate the public about the risks, dangers and heightened crime associated with auto theft, specifically “puffers” – cars left running unattended.
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DENVER (CBS4) – A man is searching for his dog that was stolen along with his van. He wanted to tell his story so that other people won’t leave their cars running, or “puffing,” when it’s cold.
Scott Hills has blanketed the area where his van was stolen with signs and pictures of his dog, Arrow. He’s offering a $100 reward just to get his dog back. He says the van isn’t even important to him — it’s Arrow that matters most.
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DENVER – Three Denver schools briefly enacted security protocols while Denver Police searched the area for suspects who abandoned a stolen vehicle.
The car was dumped along South Sheridan Boulevard, south of West Yale Avenue. Officers believe the suspects left the vehicle and ran off on foot, Denver Police Spokesman Sonny Jackson explained at 8:20 a.m.
Jackson also said the stolen vehicle was a puffer, a car left running unattended — which is illegal.
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It’s a frigid northern Colorado winter morning and the temperature hovers close to zero.
In order to give the seat warmers a chance to get nice and toasty, you turn on the car and walk back inside to drink the cinnamon mocha cappuccino brewing on the Keurig. Convenient, but you run the risk of returning to an empty driveway and tire tracks heading up the street and around the corner.
Then you’re walking to work.
Longmont police have taken reports of three puffer thefts since Dec. 28, and 22 auto thefts overall. Police have recovered some of the vehicles but, as Cmdr. Jeff Satur has put it, “They aren’t driving them like they are going to church.”
If police don’t find the vehicle, or if it is totaled by thieves, the owner has insurance companies to deal with and the headaches associated with buying a new car and not having one in the interim.
Besides that, people who take “puffer cars” sometimes use them to embark on auto theft sprees or wild, multi-jurisdictional high-speed chases with police that end in crashes. Both of these scenarios have begun in or involved Longmont, the former a little more than a week ago.
Satur said officers contacted 24 people on Wednesday morning about their running, unattended vehicles but issued no tickets because the department is mostly concerned with educating the public. Depending on the weather, they might be out again Friday.
For those who refuse to suffer the indignity of sitting in the car for a few mintues while it warms up, a solution exists — the remote starter.
Mike Bagaas, the owner of Safe & Sound, said remote starters have been around in one form or another since the 1980s and basically emulate a key being in the ignition of a car so its owner can fire up the engine from the comfort of his living room.
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During the winter months many of us leave our keys in the car to warm up or because we are running inside for a quick moment. Experts say the number of cars stolen because of puffing increase this time of year. Carole Walker with Coloradans Against Auto Theft spoke with us about ways to keep your car protected from thieves.
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Coloradans Against Auto Theft has launched a social media contest to raise awareness about the dangers of leaving running cars unattended.
They’re asking Coloradans to post a photo of how they warm up with their cars in the morning. It can be funny, sweet, or exciting. Participants are invited to enter by posting a photo to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the hashtag #CarWarmUps, or going to CAAT’s Facebook page and uploading a photo. Organizers said all photos are vetted before being posted to the contest page.
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On Nov. 19, Negri had stopped by a store to grab an energy drink. She kept her car running while she ran inside the store. That’s when a man jumped in her car and took off. Rosie was in the back seat at the time.
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KUSA – How easy is it to break into a car? Extremely easy if you don’t “hide, lock, take.”
Twenty-four-year-old “Michael” is finishing up his third round of probation. If you pull up his criminal record, there are pages upon pages, filled with drug and theft charges to name a few.
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Thefts of tailgates are up near 33 percent from 2012 to 2013. That’s according to insurance claims during the last two years. The stolen tailgates are resold on the underground market as replacement parts, or they’re sold as scrap metal.
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The Coloradans Against Auto Theft (CAAT) coalition recognizes National Auto Theft Prevention Month with a new Lockdown public awareness campaign empowering citizens to take an active role in protecting themselves and their communities from auto theft.
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In honor of National Auto Theft Prevention Month, the Coloradans Against Auto Theft (CAAT) has announced the Lock Your Block campaign.
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The simple act of just locking your doors and removing the keys can prevent most auto thefts, yet 50 percent of all stolen cars have the keys in them.
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Wednesday morning’s wild police chase along three highways caused all kinds of problems for innocent drivers sharing the road. And while the incident was extremely rare, there is a lesson to be learned.
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Wednesday’s carjacking and high-speed chase is a reminder that auto thefts are on the rise in Colorado, according to Coloradans Against Auto Theft.
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Although some of the season’s coldest weather may have passed, the Colorado State Patrol reminds motorists to avoid leaving their vehicles “puffing,” or running unattended, in their driveways or on the street.  Last year, 11,304 vehicles were reported stolen in Colorado.  Nearly 1,700 of the stolen vehicles were taken not by force, but while the vehicle was running with the keys in the ignition, unattended (puffing).
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Police are sending out a warning for drivers not to leave cars running unattended in the bitterly cold conditions in Colorado this week.
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AURORA, Colo. – Police in Aurora are on puffer enforcement this frigid morning — and it didn’t take long for the operation to warm up. Within 15 minutes, four officers had found four cars left running unattended, the Aurora Police Department tweeted at 5:30 a.m.
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DENVER – Coloradans Against Auto Theft and Colorado Auto Theft Investigators once again teamed up for this year’s “Puffer Week,” slated for Jan. 27 through 31. The week-long statewide awareness and enforcement push aims to educate the public about the risks, dangers and heightened crime associated with auto theft, specifically “puffers” – cars left running unattended.
Read Full Story Here »