Fiftieth Precinct police are urging residents to always lock their car doors and to never leave their cars running — even in front of their homes.
According to police, three cars were plucked off local streets: one in Marble Hill, one in Kingsbridge Heights and another in North Riverdale. Police don’t think the thefts are related.
In the most recent theft, which occurred early Sunday morning, a man who was warming up his 2011 Toyota Camry in front of the Social Barer Shop, at 211 W. 230th St., near Broadway, returned to find it missing. In addition to his car, the victim also lost the $300 he was keeping in it.
The day before, on Saturday, a 1997 Nissan Maxima was stolen outside 5644 Riverdale Ave., near West 256th Street. The 29-year-old male victim reported the theft to police at 6 p.m.
And, on Jan. 29, a 49-year-old man told police that he returned home to find his 2001 grey Toyota Camry missing.
Detectives are investigating all three thefts. In the meantime, Mindy Ramos, community affairs officer for the 50th Precinct, is warning residents to be proactive and to take the necessary steps to help deter car thefts and car break-ins.
“All it takes is a split second,” she said.
In addition to locking doors and never leaving running cars unattended, she is urging residents to never leave keys in the car, make sure windows are up, to never leave valuables in the car, especially where they can be seen — the trunk is a better spot — to never leave anything with personal identification, like a car title or credit card information, in the car, and to remove GPS mounts and any evidence of them — like the ring left from suction cups on the window.
