WEST HARTFORD--Police are making more arrests in a large string of car thefts. It seems like common sense, but people all across Connecticut are leaving their keys in their unlocked cars.
In West Hartford, police say they've made some arrests and expect to make at least nine more.
FOX 61 spoke with Jeff Brand, who had his 2012 Acura stolen right from his driveway in West Hartford. When police arrived, he told them he couldn’t figure out how the thief got away.
Brand said, "I asked the officer, 'Does anyone hot wire cars anymore?' He said, 'It's almost impossible to do it with all the technology.' He's like, 'there must've been a key somewhere.'" It turns out there was. "I didn't realize I had a valet key in my glove box. I didn't know that when I purchased the car and that's apparently how he took off."
Brand said while he was getting groceries and his child out of the car, he forgot to practice what he preaches: locking the car doors.
"As a State Farm agent, I felt kind of out-of-sorts because I'm usually on the other side of this," said Brand.
West Hartford Police say in many cases thieves don't even have to look for a key, especially in the newer model cars.
Lieutenant Eric Rocheleau explained on Tuesday morning that a suspect admitted people are making their jobs easy.
"He'll get into a car and the first thing he does is press the start button to see if the key fob is in there. He doesn't even have to look for it," said Rocheleau. In some of the newer cars, if the fob is hidden in the vehicle or in close proximity, it will still start.
