Another Car Stolen From Outside Westlake Home

WESTLAKE, OH — Another car was stolen from outside a home in Westlake.

On Sept. 28, a resident on Fernwood discovered their SUV was missing from their driveway. They called police and officers have been searching for the vehicle.

Investigators believe the backdoor of the house was accidentally left unlocked overnight. Someone then entered the home, took the car keys and stole the SUV.

The stolen SUV was a Misubishi Outlander. The vehicle has not yet been recovered, but police have entered the SUV in the missing vehicles database.

Between late August and mid-September, Cleveland's western suburbs saw a surge in thefts from unlocked cars and thefts from cars.

At least five cars were stolen from outside Westlake homes during that timespan. All of the cars were left unlocked overnight, with the keys inside the vehicle. Some of the cars were later recovered in Cleveland, a police spokesperson told Patch.

Police urged residents to ensure their vehicle are locked before retiring for the evening. Any valuables should be removed from cars and taken inside your home. If you can't take the valuables into your home, put them in the trunk (out of sight), police said.

Residents can follow simple, commonsense tactics to protect themselves, police said:

• Park your car in a garage, if you can
• Lock your car overnight
• Don't keep car keys inside your car
• Don't keep valuables inside your car
• Contact police if you see someone suspicious in your neighborhood, particularly if they're prowling around between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.