With cold, snowy weather in place, police warn of rising car thefts

PITTSBURGH — "Don't be a victim!" That's the message from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police as the cold, snowy weather is leading to a rise in car thefts.

Channel 11's Renee Wallace spoke one-on-one with Zone 5 Police Commander Stephen Vinansky who said Monday night, a car was stolen outside a store on Brushton Avenue after its owner left the car running to go into the store.

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The owner came out and his car was gone. It has yet to be found.

"It's seasonal - people don't typically warm up their cars when the weather is warm but when its cold and their going to work - sometimes it takes sometime just five minutes to just jump in a car and drive it away," Vinansky said.

Police said they see it each year and this year is no different -- when the weather gets colder the car thieves get bolder -- stealing cars left idling in front of stores in shopping centers and in driveways.

It's actually illegal to have your car idling unattended, you could technically be fined by police. If your car is stolen while idling, your insurance can deny you coverage.

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