Last week, Maplewood Chief of Police Steven Kruse warned not to leave unattended cars warming up because they’re an easy target for thieves. On Sunday one was stolen, Kruse reported.
Kruse said in a followup, on Monday, that on Sunday, Dec. 11, an employee of Jack in the Box restaurant at 7520 Manchester Road started her car at 6:30 a.m before leaving work. She left it unattended on the parking lot while it was warming.
A short time later, a dark blue mini-van pulled onto the parking lot. A man got out of the passenger side of the van and walked to her car and got in. A few seconds later the van and her car were both seen leaving the parking lot.
The minivan was later recovered abandoned on Zephyr Place. It had been reported stolen earlier in St. Louis.