FARMINGTON, Conn. — Farmington Police are searching for two cars stolen over the Christmas weekend.
The first was stolen on the evening of December 25 from Devonwood Road, police said.
The second vehicle was stolen off of Paul Spring Road in the middle of the day on Sunday.
"Somebody had to have been watching this house," Paula Mezzanotte told FOX61 on Monday. After she returned home with her daughter Sunday to find her family's Range Rover missing from the driveway, she was shocked to see the theft play out on her Paul Spring Road home's security system.
Video showed a black SUV pull up to their driveway. A man in a black jacket got out of the SUV, walked straight to the double parked Range Rover and get in. The Range Rover was unlocked.
Moments later the man gave a thumbs up to the waiting SUV. The security camera video does not show the moment the car leaves the driveway.
Mezzanotte believes a key fob was left in the car because her visiting children had been moving their cars in and out of the driveway for the holiday.
"It's just baffling me, because my kids are home now for the holidays," Mezzanotte said, and our driveway has been chock full of cars."
"From experience, the thefts from motor vehicles are from unlocked vehicles in residents’ driveways," Farmington Police Lieutenant Tim McKenzie told FOX61.
"The Police Department’s message has been consistent for some time now, please lock your car doors in your driveway and never leave your keys or key fob in the vehicle, even with the vehicle in your garage," Lt. McKenzie said.
Mezzanotte's warning to others is similar. Take your key fob no matter how convenient leaving it in the vehicle may be.
"Now my insurance is going to go up," Mezzanotte said, "it's just a mess all around, you know, and now I don't feel safe."
"With the cold weather upon us, car owners should avoid starting their cars and leaving them unattended while warming up," Lt. McKenzie said, "this is a prime opportunity for someone to steal your car."