Arnold Police are trying to get the word out to residents about the importance of locking their vehicles.
The Police Department posted a message April 28 on its Facebook page warning people about an uptick in vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles.
That message was posted a few days after Arnold Police got a report about a seventh vehicle being stolen in less than three weeks. Like the others, that vehicle had been left unlocked with a key inside, Arnold Police reported.
The message also said the culprits appear to be traveling in groups and in multiple cars to search for unlocked vehicles.
“By taking less than a second to hit that lock button, you're potentially saving yourself and the responding officers hours upon hours of time spent reporting the crime and its subsequent investigation,” Arnold Police said in the Facebook post. “We know our neighboring law enforcement partners in St. Louis County and Jefferson County are doing everything they can to stop the individuals responsible for these recent thefts as well, so please help us help you by taking anything of value inside your home and locking those doors!”
The seventh recent vehicle theft happened between 9 p.m. April 22 and 1:35 p.m. April 23 when a 2018 Ford F-150 was stolen from outside a home in the 3100 block of Theodore Drive, the report said.
The pickup, which was valued at $35,000, was recovered April 23 on West Garfield Avenue in St. Louis and returned to its owner, a 47-year-old Arnold man, according to the report.
As of May 7, a suspect had not been identified, Capt. Rich Shular said.
That vehicle theft followed on the heels of the theft of six vehicles left unlocked with keys inside from outside homes on Hickory Ridge Trail and Old Hickory Court.
On April 6, a 2019 Cadillac XT5 and a 2017 Ford Fusion were stolen from outside a home in the 1100 block of Hickory Ridge Trial, and a 2008 Volkswagen Atlas was stolen from outside a home in the 500 block of Hickory Manor, police reported.
On April 15, a 2016 Chevrolet Impala and a 2014 Buick Verano were stolen from outside a home in the 1100 block of Hickory Ridge Trail. Video from a neighbor’s surveillance camera showed the cars were stolen at about 4:30 a.m., the report said.
Also that morning, a 2017 Nissan Altima was stolen from outside a home in the 1900 block of Old Hickory Court, according to the report.