Video Shows Car Thief in Action

A few seconds is all it takes for a thief to part a victim and a vehicle.

The Clearwater Police Department said an example of that point unfolded late Wednesday evening when a woman pulled into the 7-Eleven at 1725 Drew St. Planning to only be inside for a few seconds, she left her Dodge Avenger running at the pumps.

Those few seconds were all it took, the department wrote in an email to media. In fact, it was only about 18 seconds from the time the woman cleared the parking lot until auto thieves arrived on the scene, according to surveillance footage that caught the crime in action.

While the woman was inside paying for gas, the thieves pulled up to the 7-Eleven in a silver Ford 150 that also happened to be stolen. The passenger jumped out, got into the Dodge and took off.

While the case remains under investigation, police say the crime serves as a reminder for folks to lock their doors and never, ever leave their keys inside a vehicle.

“Many vehicle thefts and burglaries are crimes of opportunity -- simply locking cars and securing valuables would go a long way to preventing such crimes,” the email noted.

“Please don’t make it easy for thieves to steal your stuff,” the agency added on its Facebook page.

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