Last weekend, 4 vehicles were stolen in Bolesławiec County. It turned out that all of them had their keys in the ignitions. The first was stolen on Friday night from a private property. The perpetrator was not deterred by the fact that the car had a seeder attached to it. The suspect drove away with the entire set, worth 10,000 zlotys. The agricultural machine detached while driving, and the 28-year-old decided to use the tow hitch on the stolen car to steal a trailer that same night. This time, the perpetrator was unlucky, as the car broke down.
Walking on foot, the thief looked into various yards until he came across another vehicle left with its keys inside. He got in and drove away. Taking advantage of having a means of transport, the following night he drove up to an excavator parked in one of Bolesławiec’s housing estates and stole one of its components, worth 1,500 zlotys. He then hid the car in a large parking lot, hoping that police officers would not find it among the many other vehicles. Officers located the stolen vehicle and found the excavator component inside.
On Saturday morning, the same man stole another car that had been left with its keys inside. This time, he drove away in a Mitsubishi worth 15,000 zlotys from a company parking lot. He also used the car to commit other crimes. That same day, he stole fuel 3 times at various filling stations and failed to stop for inspection despite the light and sound signals given by a police patrol. He then left the car in a secluded place so that it would not attract attention. Police officers from the station in Kruszyn found the vehicle and returned it to its owner.
On Sunday, the perpetrator acted in the Warta Bolesławiecka commune, where he stole an Audi worth 16,000 zlotys from company premises. It belonged to an employee. Once again, the thief’s task was made easier because the keys were inside the car.
As a result of operational activities, police officers established that the same person was responsible for the weekend vehicle thefts: a 28-year-old resident of Bolesławiec County who was well known to the officers.
The man was charged with a total of 13 offenses because he was also suspected in other cases. In addition to vehicle theft, he will be held responsible for drug possession, driving under the influence of intoxicating substances, bicycle theft, and causing a direct risk of a disaster in land traffic while fleeing from a police patrol. During the escape, among other things, he drove through a railway crossing against a red light and onto a sidewalk and bicycle path.
At the request of the Bolesławiec prosecutor’s office, the court ordered 3 months of pre-trial detention for the 28-year-old. He faces up to 8 years in prison for the offenses committed.
Police officers appeal to drivers not to make life easier for thieves: take the keys out of the ignition and lock your cars. As can be seen, criminals are only looking for opportunities to easily obtain valuable property.