This brazen example of grand theft auto played out in broad daylight only a few feet away from the owner
October 6, 2024 at 21:01
- A man lost his Kia Stinger in less than 30 seconds while filling up at the gas pump.
- Thieves approached in a BMW SUV, sneaking into the Kia while the owner was nearby.
- This incident highlights the importance of staying aware and securing your vehicle at all times.
Nobody expects to be the victim of crime, but sadly, it’s a part of modern society. For the driver of a Kia Stinger, the situation might feel a bit more painful. He was standing only a few feet from his car as thieves jumped into it and prepared to drive away. He only noticed them when they began to leave the gas pump.
This video comes to us from a Reddit user in the St. Louis area who uses a dashcam that records even when the car is off. They were away from the car when this situation went down but the camera caught everything.
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A man about to put some fuel in his Kia Stinger appears oblivious as another person in a BMW pulls up only for a third individual to get out and sneak over to the Kia. That third individual slips into the passenger side, slides over to the driver’s side, turns on the car, and drives away. The owner doesn’t even appear to notice until the Kia is moving away from him. There are a few things we can all take away from the robbery.
First, never leave your keys in your car. While it’s true that a thief doesn’t always need the key to steal a car, the time it takes is obviously very different. Even a person with sophisticated tools would likely struggle to get away with a car this quickly. Had the owner left the car unlocked but had the keys in his pocket, the perp would’ve needed to somehow start the car without the keys or they would’ve had to abandon the attempt. That brings us to lesson number two.
Video Reddit
Second, lock your car at the gas pump. Sure, it seems like a place where nothing could go wrong but consider a few things. This isn’t some giant SUV, van, or truck. This is a Kia Stinger sedan. The suspect was almost entirely in plain view and still managed to sneak up close enough and get into the car without the owner noticing. Had the doors been locked, this entire attempt probably ends when the perp attempts the door handle, realizes it’s locked, and then has to leave. Finally, all of this brings us to lesson number three.
Third, be aware of your surroundings. No doubt, we all want to live in a society where we can turn our backs and feel confident that 30 seconds later all of our stuff will be right where we left it. Sadly, that isn’t always the case and here we see the penalty for failing to pay attention to what is happening around one’s self. By the time the owner noticed the person in his car things were too late. At least he didn’t go trying to get the perp out only to end up injured.
As for the outcome of this story, police have this video and are doing what they can to find the car and the suspects. Hopefully, they’ll recover the Kia in one piece.