SALT LAKE CITY — Despite repeated warnings over and over and over again, it appears that some Utah vehicle owners never learn their lesson.
Through just the first two months of 2023, the Salt Lake City Police Department said 32 vehicles have been stolen while warming up after owners left the keys inside.
Overall, the department has taken 77 stolen vehicle reports this year involving incidents where keys were left inside a running vehicle.
The report comes after years of continuous warnings from law enforcement telling owners not to leave their vehicles unattended no matter how cold it is outside.
"We get it, no one wants to walk out of a warm home and get inside of a cold car, but it isn't worth the risk," said Sgt. Mark Wian.
Police say it only takes a few seconds for someone to jump into a car with the keys left behind and take off.
