PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. — Prince George's County Police are warning drivers of an alarming trend. Officers have seen a stunning increase in so-called 'jump-in' car thefts this year.
In Prince George's County there have been a total of 469 of these thefts this year alone. That's a 327% increase since 2019. Back in August, police spoke out about these crimes of opportunity after an incident that nearly ended in tragedy.
Police say a woman briefly went inside to the Sunoco market and gas station in Lanham, leaving her car running and unlocked out front, with her 9-month-old inside of the vehicle.
In the surveillance video released by police, you can see two young men climb into the car and start backing out. The mom bangs on the hood, but the teens keep going, nearly pinning her against another car, the baby still inside. The mother yanks on the door, but the teens drove off. Police said the teens dumped the baby unattended on the side of the road.
Since that incident, police have seen this happen nearly 200 more times.
"It happens, but the point is it only happens because people leave their keys in the car," said Lt. Jordan Swonger with Prince George's County Police.
It can happen outside your home or a business. During the holiday season, police say it's happening more often to delivery drivers. Police in the county say they have seen an uptick in Amazon and Fed Ex trucks left running and unattended.
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Only about half of the stolen cars are ever recovered in the county. Police have a simple message that will save you a lot of stress. Lock your car and take your keys.