ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Police in Elizabeth City say they're seeing an uptick in reports of stolen vehicles and want to remind residents of a few safety tips.
On January 10, at around 5:04 p.m., officers of the Elizabeth City Police Department responded to the area of East Fearing Street near Martin Luther King Street after a victim's Black Kia Forte was stolen.
The Elizabeth City Police Department has received several reports in the past two weeks of motor vehicle thefts and urges citizens to take their keys out of the vehicle and lock their doors. They're also urging citizens to not leave vehicles running unattended. North Carolina has a law that prohibits a person from leaving a motor vehicle unattended while running.
North Carolina General Statute § 20-163 Unattended Motor Vehicles. No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended on a public highway or public vehicular area without first stopping the engine, effectively setting the brake thereon and, when standing upon any grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway. (1937, c. 407, s. 125; 1973, c. 1330, s. 26.)
This is an active ongoing investigation, and the police department is asking anyone with additional information about this incident to contact the Elizabeth City Police Department at (252)-335-4321 or the Crime Line at (252)-335-5555.
All information received will remain anonymous and strictly confidential.
