ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - St. Louis County Police are warning residents to lock their cars, and don't leave the key fobs in them, as car thefts have jump 39 percent for the year.
Through the third week of July, 746 vehicles were stolen in St. Louis County, compared to 536 at the same time last year. Police Spokesman Sgt. Ben Granda says car thefts in West County specifically have doubled.
He says many of the vehicles are 2013 models and newer, most being equipped with anti-car theft technology. But he says many are leaving keys or key fobs in them.
"We are seeing that people are leaving their vehicles unlocked, they are leaving their keys inside them, or nearby them," Granda says. "And that's how people are stealing these."
The No. 1 stolen car this year in the county is the Chevy Malibu with 30 steals, followed by Toyota Camry (26), Nissan Ultima (22), Hyundai Sonata (20) and Chevy Impala (18).