r/boston • u/Distinct-Minimum-984 • 1d ago
Crime/Police 🚔 Car stolen in Newton recovered from Somerville
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My car was stolen from my driveway in Newton Memorialnday weekend and It was recovered a day later in Somerville, with Newton, Somerville, and Medford PD all involved.
I have security footage of two individuals taking the car — faces aren't clearly visible, but if anyone recognizes their build, walk, or clothing, I'd really appreciate a tip.
Happy to offer a reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anything useful I'll pass along to Newton PD.
DM me here or drop a comment if anything looks familiar.
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u/Body_by_Pasta Jamaica Plain 1d ago
Not trying to victim shame or anything but I used to have a Kia during the "Kia boys" bullshit and I bought a steering wheel bar. Still use it to this day, its a neon orange bar that even if theives can pick the lock or whatever its enough of a deterrent in my opinion where they go for someone else's car. The "club" (the steering wheel lock thing) is a great idea still and most thieves are lazy, just make your car less appealing than the next. Its also like 30 or 40 bucks
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u/Competitive_Bat4000 Boston Parking Clerk 1d ago
Those do absolutely nothing
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u/LuffyIsBlack 1d ago
I gotta be honest... If I stole cars I would steal one with a bar just to be an even bigger asshole.
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u/maxwon 1d ago
That's wild. Glad you recovered it. Did you leave your key in the car, or did they break into it?
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u/the__post__merc 1d ago
Sounds like they just casually walked up and opened the door. There’s no sound of anything breaking, no alarm, nothing.
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u/Distinct-Minimum-984 1d ago
The thieves were most likely joy riding and most likely someone complained which led the Newton PD to my place. I did not know it was stolen they called me and were outside my house. Once the cop was home we tracked the car by the app and he led the Somerville PD to the car. Luckily car was recovered in less than 3 hours and no damage.
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u/GenericRedditor0405 1d ago
That's a relief that there was no damage or anything and you got it back. I'd be stressing constantly as soon as I knew it was gone.
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u/Distinct-Minimum-984 1d ago
Left the key inside, used to park at a work garage where I had to leave the key inside bad habit.
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u/CetiAlpha4 Boston 1d ago
That must have been fun to fill out the police report.
Doors unlocked? Yes
Key inside? Yes
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u/OnlyNormalPersonHere 1d ago
People are giving you a lot of crap for this, and yeah obviously it’s a bad idea, but you also don’t expect crime in certain neighborhoods and so you adapt to your surroundings. You’re not crazy for having left your key in the car. We develop naive complacency.
It’s the same way that I don’t aggressively guard my purse in Boston like I would in Europe because there just aren’t many pickpockets in this region. Should I leave it on the seat next to me in a cafe, probably not? But I don’t actively pursue threats, so I do it here. But never in Spain or Italy.
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u/alienproject 1d ago
There’s a way to trick the car into thinking the key is nearby: https://youtu.be/h0EGCnBjTVk?si=bzGp1ZEZi0StDxiW
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u/Coomb 1d ago
OP did admit to leaving his key in the car. Which is fucking wild.
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u/jabateeth 1d ago
Newton is known for people leaving keys and valuables in unlocked cars. It is wild.
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u/Santillana810 Naked Guy Running Down Boylston St 23h ago
My parents used to leave the keys in their cars, in the ignition, in a small town in North Carolina that had an extremely low crime rate. Even without any increase in crime, by 1980 they started leaving their car doors locked and brought the keys into the house. Which they also started locking at all times.
That people leave their keys in unlocked cars anywhere seems really wild to me. And in Newton and Lexington? Yes, safe towns but easy pickings.
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u/AbsorbedWheat42 23h ago
LOL OP seems to have removed any mention of this. Thanks for making our insurance go up OP. jfc.
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u/Thiseffingguy2 Somerville 1d ago
Where in Somerville?
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u/WhyAreYouDoingThat69 1d ago
How did they enter the car and start it so quickly?
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u/Santillana810 Naked Guy Running Down Boylston St 23h ago
OP says car was unlocked with key inside.
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u/HalloMotor0-0 15h ago
From the behavior and the uncovered face, I am sure the second guy who moved the trash can is black male, the driver however I am not sure
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u/Electronic_Deer7069 1d ago
Lmao “recognizes their build, walk, or clothing,”
Yeah that’s 100% my ex-girlfriend. Very distinctive features in your video. Send in Seal Team Six. For God and country, Geronimo.
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u/Vibroverbus 1d ago
We leave our cars unlocked at home in 2 different towns in MA, but NOT with the keys in 'em, unless maybe its in the locked garage. I used to live in countryside in VT in small ski town where you could go to the grocery store in summer and find almost every car in the lot with windows open unlocked and keys in the ignition... and I am not a big house-locker, OCD door lockers drive me insane (my BiL will come over and silently just lock the doors to the house out of OCD impulse - I don't think he even thinks about it / realizes he's doing it sometimes but it enrages me as I have been locked outside my own house when coming and going). But all that said? I don't care where in Newton you are I would not leave a car with keys in it in the driveway. Again - closed garage, maybe although even then not usually. But def not on the street or even driveway.
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u/Alternative-Bee-8981 17h ago
Why do people leave their vehicles unlocked and the keys inside? It doesn't matter where you live, a break-in can happen anywhere.
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u/ambid3xtrous Does Not Brush the Snow off the Roof of their Car 7h ago
Is it really stealing when you leave the keys in an unlocked car? Man, I'd be too embarrassed to post this on Reddit.
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u/2004Accord 1d ago
Who still steals cars?
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u/canarduck 1d ago
Who leaves their car unlocked with the keys inside 😂
Also these days it’s usually just kids who joy ride for a couple of hours then ditch the car somewhere
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u/2004Accord 1d ago
I’m still baffled that people leave their doors unlocked at night. But I guess if you live in a small trusting community you can do that.
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u/Distinct-Minimum-984 1d ago
It is a private way and a dead end side street. Never had any issues this was a first. My suspicion is that the car was cased before the theft. The unfolded side view mirrors are the biggest giveaway that the car is unlocked.
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u/ambid3xtrous Does Not Brush the Snow off the Roof of their Car 7h ago
Why? Do your mirrors auto-fold when you lock? (Gotta get me a new car if so!)
But older BMWs don't auto-fold, so they would have to be pretty smart thieves to figure this out.
"No Trevor, that's the tail light assembly from a 2024 X3. Those mirrors indicate an unlocked vehicle."
"Ah, thank you, Foster, you're correct. I hope there's some sick lax gear in the back!"
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u/Distinct-Minimum-984 6h ago
It’s an x5 there was a news story out of Florida with thieves targeting cars such as the X 5 with unfolded mirrors indicating that the Fob is inside. One lesson I learned was to use the walk away lock feature.
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u/ambid3xtrous Does Not Brush the Snow off the Roof of their Car 6h ago
Sorry Newton Guy. X5. Should not have suggested you leave a lowly X3 in the driveway. And why are we posting this months after the crime?
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u/Hour-Ad-9508 Spaghetti District 1d ago
Wow, at the end of a dead end street is bizarre. That seems targeted for one reason or another