Area Thieves Tempted by Running Cars
By: Kara Kirtley
Updated: January 3, 2013
The cold weather outside can be pretty tempting to leave your car running while you pop into the gas station. However, Evansville police are warning you not to leave your car running no matter how tempting.
Two running cars were stolen last night. After hearing the news of two cars being stolen last night in the city. We wanted to find out if other drivers were also leaving their cars running. "It's unbelievable that someone would steal a car anyway, especially in a public place where people are coming in and out," Andrea Wirth says. But that's exactly what two people did last night. Shawn Gardner and Ronald Lemon were both arrested in separate incidents after police say they stole a car at Huck's Gas Station on Green River Road and the Marathon on North First Avenue. Leaving your car running is a common scenario for many people like Andrea, "If I were parked up next to the building and ran in to get a pack of gum, I wouldn't think twice about it."
So we wanted to find out after the thefts and the police warning, if people were still leaving their cars running. We sat outside one gas station for 20 minutes and couldn't catch anyone in the act. Not the case across town, where we did catch one woman who left her car running for about a minute and a half while she ran inside. She didn't want to speak on camera.
However, John Billman knows all about the dangers of leaving a car unlocked, as his son was one of last night's victims, "Thankfully, Evansville police reacted super on this, they caught him right up the street." Luckily, Brock Billman got his car back. His father has some advice for other drivers, "When you walk out of your vehicle, take your keys out, lock your vehicle."
Two running cars were stolen last night. After hearing the news of two cars being stolen last night in the city. We wanted to find out if other drivers were also leaving their cars running. "It's unbelievable that someone would steal a car anyway, especially in a public place where people are coming in and out," Andrea Wirth says. But that's exactly what two people did last night. Shawn Gardner and Ronald Lemon were both arrested in separate incidents after police say they stole a car at Huck's Gas Station on Green River Road and the Marathon on North First Avenue. Leaving your car running is a common scenario for many people like Andrea, "If I were parked up next to the building and ran in to get a pack of gum, I wouldn't think twice about it."
So we wanted to find out after the thefts and the police warning, if people were still leaving their cars running. We sat outside one gas station for 20 minutes and couldn't catch anyone in the act. Not the case across town, where we did catch one woman who left her car running for about a minute and a half while she ran inside. She didn't want to speak on camera.
However, John Billman knows all about the dangers of leaving a car unlocked, as his son was one of last night's victims, "Thankfully, Evansville police reacted super on this, they caught him right up the street." Luckily, Brock Billman got his car back. His father has some advice for other drivers, "When you walk out of your vehicle, take your keys out, lock your vehicle."
