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Car theft victim finds vehicle on social media
A North Texas woman's stolen car was found on social media, where it was being used by thieves in a crime spree across multiple communities.
FRISCO, Texas - Vehicle thefts happen every day throughout many communities in North Texas, but one victim was beyond surprised when she saw her stolen car on social media.
What we know:
Courtney May realized her Nissan Sentra had been stolen from her driveway in Frisco on Tuesday morning.
Her toddler’s car seat was ditched a mile away.
"It made me want to do something about it. It really did," said May. "It made my anxiety spike honestly, because I was like, wow, this is really happening."
May posted to a social media app and, to her surprise, someone shared a video of her car being used in a crime spree. Criminals hopped out of her vehicle and stole from other vehicles in The Colony.
"And so, I immediately started freaking out. I called the police. Filed a report," said May.
"It made me very emotional."
What they're saying:
The Colony police say they broke into at least three vehicles in the Cascades neighborhood on Tuesday morning. The Colony police say the vehicle used to commit the crimes matches the description of May’s vehicle.
"Leave your car unlocked, leave something valuable in plain sight, and then they’ll go for it," said Sgt. James Barfield of The Colony Police Department.
Social media posts indicate that number might be dozens, but it’s unclear how many people did not file police reports.
"We want to encourage everyone to report those crimes to us," said Sgt. Barfield.
Dig deeper:
In Plano, nearly half-a-dozen vehicle break-ins were reported on Tuesday morning. Police are exploring if there’s a possible connection to May’s Nissan.
May is grateful she did not stumble upon the car thieves while with her son. Some social media posts claim garage-door openers were stolen, highlighting the potential for further crimes.
"Cars and materialistic things are replaceable. A life is not," said May.
"And the fact that they are stealing garage openers leads me to believe that they are planning for future home invasions where somebody could get hurt. Gotcha. That has to be the scariest part. That’s the scariest part for me."
What's next:
No arrests have been made.
It does not appear that May's car has been abandoned anywhere. FOX 4 has been in contact with local police departments for any updates regarding her stolen vehicle.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4's David Sentendrey. Additional information was provided by The Colony Police Department.