Woodbury police report an uptick in vehicle thefts

Fourteen vehicles have been stolen over the past several days with five being taken in a span of two hours Wednesday night, according to police.

"You don’t feel that safe anymore," said Kenan Baltaci, whose car was stolen in Woodbury.

Pulling in to park is a daily routine for Baltaci, but on Tuesday night there was a twist.

"My friend came in and he said, ‘I didn’t see your car,’ and I thought it was in the garage. I thought he wasn’t expecting to see it in the driveway," Baltaci said.

But it wasn’t in his driveway or the garage. His 2021 Honda Accord was stolen while he was steps away, in his home.

"It was in the garage so you don’t think these kind of things happen," he said.

Khalid Mohamed lives in Woodbury. His car was stolen last year in a different city.

"I wouldn’t expect that from Woodbury," Mohamed said. "It’s surprisingly strange. I thought this was a great city and a safe neighborhood."

Woodbury police are working to pump the brakes on car thieves but say it’s important residents do their part.

"People have left their keys in the car or even at their own home parked in the driveway or perhaps parked in the garage," John Altman, Woodbury police commander, said. "We don’t know if it’s the same group of people. We can make assumptions it most likely is based on proximity and the time of day."

Past and present victims say that moving forward, they plan to be on the lookout and lock up.

"I’ll get a camera for sure," Baltaci said.

"Obviously, getting your car stolen isn’t a great experience, but you learn from it," Mohamed said.

Woodbury police say they’re still working to recover the stolen vehicles. Police explained it’s important for drivers to lock their doors and keep keys in their home to avoid becoming the next victim.