Police are warning vehicle owners to keep track of their keys.
On Wednesday five stolen vehicles were recovered by police in Chillwack.
All but one of them had been stolen with their keys, said the province’s integrated auto crime unit (IMPACT).
On Thursday, Inspector Brian MacDonald, who heads the unit, released a photo on social media of one of the recovered vehicles. It had been stripped of its wheels and left abandoned in a parking lot.
The recovery follows a more frightening incident Tuesday morning.
Chilliwack firefighters were called to a condo complex on Evans Road after car thieves torched a stolen SUV in the parking lot.
According to a witness, the fire spread to a second vehicle and damaged two more.
There were around 30 vehicles reported stolen in Chilliwack during May, according to the City of Chilliwack’s crime map. The same number were reported stolen the month earlier.
Police are urging motorists to secure their vehicles and to never leave keys unguarded.
“Treat your keys like cash,” said Insp. MacDonald.
And never keep a spare key in your vehicle.
One of 5 stolen vehicles #bcautocrimepolice recovered yesterday in #chilliwack. Four of them were stolen with keys! #treatyourkeyslikecash @ChilliwackRCMP @AbbyPoliceDept @LangleyRCMP @TheProgress pic.twitter.com/iJHzp7C0Tu
— Brian MacDonald (@AntiThiefChief) July 5, 2018