The owner of a 2015 Porsche Cayenne left the keys inside and the car unlocked in his driveway at 7 North Road when he was away for several days, only to find it missing on his return, he told police.
Darien police provided this further account:
The man said he last saw the car on Thursday, Dec. 27. He returned home on Jan. 3, exactly a week later, to find the car missing. He called police at 8:30 p.m. that day.
The next day, Darien police were notified that the Porsche had been located in Newark, New Jersey.
Police have long remarked on a practice, particularly among urban teenagers, of going to suburban neighborhoods, checking vehicle doors to see whether or not they’re locked, and going into the unlocked ones to steal whatever may be valuable.
Unlocked vehicles with keys inside then get stolen, usually for days, and are later found, usually in a city, sometimes with varying amounts of damage.
Stolen Darien cars are often found in Connecticut cities. A stolen car driven to Newark is unusual.
Unlocked vehicles left outdoors are entered overnight even on residential streets well away from main roads, although 7 North Road is even farther away from main roads than most, located at the end of Butlers Island, a bit less than half a mile away to the east of Tokeneke Club.
On the back of Darien Police patrol cars: “Lock your car. every time. Everywhere.”