Milwaukee Police Warn Of Surge In Car Thefts

Milwaukee law enforcement officials are warning people to keep an eye on their vehicles as car thefts surge.

Authorities are citing the ongoing cold weather for the reason thefts are increasing. That’s because some drivers are warming up their cars in their driveways or as they run errands, CBS 58 explained Sunday night (February 7).

The number of car thefts has more than doubled compared to this time last year.

Thieves — including some juveniles as young as 12 years old — stole almost 800 cars in the area last month, up from about 300 last year, according to CBS 58. Milwaukee Police Department Captain David Feldmeier said some of the stolen vehicles have turned up “as far away as Chicago.”

"We're seeing a lot of reckless driving, racing, they're swerving at other vehicles, they're swerving at our squad cars," Feldmeier added.

Milwaukee isn’t alone in its rise in car thefts, and victims of the crime even include famous rappers.

Ludacris reported his Mercedes-Benz stolen during an ATM stop in Atlanta last month. He told authorities that while he was at the ATM, he heard someone speed away in his vehicle.

After police tracked down the car and returned it to Ludacris, the rapper and actor took to Instagram to crack jokes about the experience.

At that time, Atlanta police warned the public not to leave cars running while unattended.

Photo: Getty Images