Grand theft auto is a serious felony. It could result in imprisonment, restitution for the victim, a hefty fine or probation. It can also be particularly damaging to the victim of the crime who most likely needs access to their vehicle to get to work or complete errands. Not many have the audacity to steal a car, even if they know how to do it, but that doesn’t stop plenty of people from trying.
thedetroitbureau.com
In 2012 alone, the United States saw 721,053 motor vehicle thefts. That’s 229.7 vehicles stolen for every 100,000 inhabitants. Those numbers are highly worrying, so it’s always important to lock your car when you leave it for an extended period of time. Some good tips to prevent your vehicle from being stolen include closing the windows when you leave it unattended, never leaving it running while you’re not present, and parking in well-lit or visible areas.
lockdownyourcar.org
But it’s not often that a car is stolen accidentally. In fact, cases like this probably never happen. Unless you’re Portland, Oregon native Erin Hatzi, who woke up one morning to discover that her red Subaru was missing from her driveway. Perplexed as to what she should do, Hatzi contacted the authorities and began searching local Craigslist listings to see if she could find any traces of her car.
gstatic.com
It wasn’t until later that Hatzi remembered she had a security camera installed on her house. She took a look at the footage, but didn’t know what to make of it. It showed a stranger entering the car before sitting inside for a few minutes and then, simply, driving off. As casual as can be. Something about the whole ordeal seemed off to Hatzi.
worldtruth.tv
“We were really confused because it didn’t seem like the normal actions of a car theif,” Hatzi said. “You wouldn’t think they’d sit there in idle in the owner’s driveway for two or three minutes.” What starts off as a strange or unsettling story only went further down the rabbit hole as it progressed. The following morning, when Hatzi awoke, she found the car back in the driveway, as though nothing had ever happened.
pbs.com
Obviously something was up, but for now Hatzi was just filled with a cocktail of positive emotions that she was able to get her car back. She ran up to it only to discover a handwritten note from the person who had stolen the car! The note was an apology, explaining the events that had taken place two days prior. The entire thing ends up being pretty hilarious, but still, one has to wonder how someone accidentally steals a car.
