By Bay City News Service
Three vehicles were stolen Tuesday in Cloverdale and Geyserville bringing the number of vehicle thefts during the past two months in Sonoma County to 10, a California Highway Patrol officer said.
Most of the vehicles were unlocked and the ignition keys were left inside nine of the stolen vehicles, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.
Two vehicles were stolen in Geyserville and one in Cloverdale Tuesday, Sloat said. They were a Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Z-71 pickup truck and a Ford Explorer.
The Sonoma County Auto Theft Task Force estimates 30 to 40 percent of vehicles were stolen in the county because the keys were left in the vehicles, Sloat said.
The auto thefts are not confined to urban areas because rural residents often leave their keys in the vehicles, Sloat said.
Thieves often enter vehicles to steal valuables in plain sight and then steal the vehicles when they find a key inside, Sloat said.
Anyone with information about the recent vehicle thefts is asked to call the Sonoma County Auto Theft Task Force at (707) 565-1371.
