COLUMBUS, Ohio — Several law enforcement agencies are trying to crack down on thieves stealing dozens of cars from people’s homes, dealerships and even the governor’s detail car.
Police say it’s lawlessness like they have never seen before and the car thefts have skyrocketed in the last few months.
“Quite a bit more. They seem to be centered around dealerships. Autobody shops are being targeted right around here, not just in Whitehall, but in Columbus and the greater Franklin County area,” said Whitehall Deputy Chief Dan Kelso.
In November, someone stole three cars and 17 keys from Cap City Motors in Whitehall.
Whitehall police chased one car and then ended up finding several stolen vehicles from Cap City Motors in an apartment complex parking lot.
“What we are seeing if they have extra keys, they will try to come back later and get those cars,” Kelso explained.
On Dec. 6, thieves stole nine cars, including one owned by the Ohio State Highway Patrol used for the governor's detail and 16 keys from Byers Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram.
The very next night the thieves came back. Whitehall police tried to catch up, but the car thieves drove through stop signs, and almost hit a police cruiser head-on.
“They are joyriding. They are committing other crimes, they are crashing into things. They are flying by police officers through a red light, through intersections, a hundred miles per hour, knowing it is way too dangerous for us to chase,” Kelso said.
Police say they think it's the same group or two that is responsible for maybe a hundred or more stolen cars in the last few months.
When Whitehall police arrest some thieves, officers say suspects have a mentality they can't be arrested. Whitehall police shared this suspect interview with CrimeTracker 10.
“They let us take over society. Over there, they be moving scared,” the juvenile suspect said, referring to Columbus police.
Among the victims of the latest car thefts is Amber Skinner, a mother of four who stopped at a gas station after working a double shift.
While she was inside getting hand sanitizer and masks for her kids, her car was stolen.
Skinner admits she left the car running and shouldn’t have, but says it was seconds from when she left the car until it was stolen.
Skinner is glad her kids weren't in the car, and that she wasn't hurt, but hopes the thieves are caught.
“They don't feel any remorse,” she said.
“They believe that law enforcement, because of what has been said in the media by certain individuals they believe now that they are free to do whatever they want. We have been told that by individuals that we have arrested,” Kelso said.
By looking at the number of cars stolen out of the city of Columbus, thieves are hitting the gas on the number of cars they are stealing.
Just through the first half of January this year, more cars were stolen than the whole month of January last year.
There were almost double the number of cars stolen in December compared to the year before.
Kelso says the thieves are only getting more aggressive and he worries someone is going to get hurt before they are locked up.
“We've seen criminals seize that moment to pull up and try to rob the person and take their car,” Kelso said.
In the last few weeks, Whitehall police have made several arrests including many teens.
They have also recovered several guns inside the stolen cars.