LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Lincoln Police Department is investigating at least six reports in recent days of stolen vehicles from southeast Lincoln.
One of those reports was made by Amber Smith, who is missing her silver 2016 Honda CRV.
Her husband discovered that it was gone from their home near 36th Street and Pioneers Boulevard when he was leaving for work Thursday morning.
“He came back inside, and he said, ‘Amber, where is your car?’” she said. “I’m like, ‘Well, what do you mean, where’s my car?’”
She said her car was parked in the driveway in front of her husband’s vehicle, but someone hopped in the driver’s seat and drove her car through the yard to get away.
According to Smith, her neighbor saw the whole thing happen.
“She had watched him try to get into a truck up the street and didn’t get in,” she said. “Then he was able to get into my car.”
Lincoln Police said during the colder months, there’s more auto thefts.
There were 97 auto thefts reported in October, which is second only to February this year, according to police.
October was the highest month for auto thefts in 2023, and November had the most in 2022.
A few minutes away from where Smith’s car was stolen, another woman, Michelle Topil, had her car broken into Wednesday morning.
She shared a video with Channel 8 that shows a vehicle stopping at her car while someone gets out and quickly goes through it before the two people drive away.
Smith said that’s similar to what happened to her car.
“There was a gentleman waiting in the black car that was following him down the street as he was trying to enter into vehicles,” Smith said.
Topil said this is the second time someone has broken into her vehicle in the last month.
And for Smith, not having her car is a huge inconvenience for her family. She has a 6-year-old and is having a baby at the end of the month.
“I’m going to have to rely on Ubers, unfortunately, which then again puts a financial burden on you because, I mean, we’re a family that lives paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “So it’s not like I can go buy a new car or just make it happen.”
She hopes the person who took her car has a change of heart and brings it back.
“It is what it is, what am I going to do? There’s nothing that I’m going to do that will change the situation I put myself in by leaving it unlocked, so hopefully between my sister that’s going around knocking on doors and all the Ring cameras, we’ll maybe get a license plate.”
Police are asking anyone with any information on the stolen vehicles to contact the department or call Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.
