A theft victim wants to warn others about leaving their vehicles unlocked after filling up at the gas pump.
The 26-year-old Mississauga man filled his vehicle with gas at a station on Queen Street East at Bramalea Road and went inside to pay. It was 11:30 p.m. on March 17.
While he was away from his vehicle, someone opened his unlocked driver’s side door and took his cellphone, according to a police report.
“Lock your car when you’re filling up with gas,” he now warns others.
Peel police spokesperson Const. Bally Saini says police often warn motorists about the importance of not leaving a vehicle unlocked and unattended.
“It’s similar to a warm-up theft,” Saini says of the recent incident.
The victim in this case drove around the area and at 4 a.m. he located a suspect.
Police arrested Curtis Plourde, 27, of no fixed address and charged him with theft and breach of probation.
Source: The Brampton Guardian