Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Devon Bradley awoke and went outside at about 7:45 a.m. to go to work, as he does every day. But Tuesday something was different. His car was missing.

"I was like, 'Where's my car?' because I knew I had driven it home, and I would have heard if someone was trying to steal it," he said.

Bradley, 21, said he came home from work at about midnight Monday, parked his 1995 Jeep Wrangler where he always does, next to his window at Walton Village apartments, and went to bed shortly after.

Bradley said he called police immediately when he realized his car was gone.

"At this point there aren't any suspects, but the situation is under investigation," police Capt. Joel Rae said.

Rae said the police department gets one or two stolen vehicle complaints a month, though most of the cars are recovered the next day in the city or sometimes in Denver.

"As we get into the winter months, we see a lot more people having their cars stolen, especially downtown because drunks will usually find an unlocked car, get in it and drive away," he said.

Those are the vehicles that are usually recovered the next day.

Bradley said he hoped that was what happened to his car, though he didn't think that was likely.

"My friends and I spent about four hours driving every street in Steamboat Springs, and unless it's in a garage, we didn't find it.

"I was hoping some drunk just drove it and parked it in a ditch somewhere," he said.

Bradley describes his Jeep as black with a tan soft-top and Massachusetts license plates. He said the grill is rusty and the exhaust is cracked and is very loud when it starts, which is why he is surprised he didn't wake up when it was stolen.

"It's very odd to me, because my car is so loud when you start it. I should have heard it," he said.

"I loved that Jeep. It was my thing. I loved to go four-wheeling," he said.

Bradley said his car was unlocked, and he left the keys and the title in it because he was going to get Colorado plates the next day.

"If somebody was set on stealing it, they're set," he said.

Rae said that all Northwest Colorado law enforcement agencies have been notified about the theft.

Rae said most thefts occur when cars are unlocked and that people should keep their cars locked and valuables out of sight.

"You don't ever want to keep anything of value in your car," he said.

"Keep your car locked and don't keep spare keys in the glove box or middle console, because criminals will find them."

-- To reach Alexis DeLaCruz, call 871-4234 or e-mail adelacruz@steamboatpilot.com