Car thefts on the rise in Pueblo

The number of vehicle thefts in Pueblo is on pace to exceed recent years, with nearly 450 cars reported stolen so far this year.

“It’s not like other cities where cars are being stolen because they’re parting them out or selling parts or stuff like that. In Pueblo, the car thefts are mainly a bunch of different reasons,” said Sgt. Eric Gonzales.

Gonzales said most of the stolen cars are being used during burglaries and drug deals.

“Maybe have a car that’s not theirs during a robbery, or just joy-riding from one side of town to the other,” Gonzales said.

On Thursday, when Debra Gallegos walked outside to go to work, her 2001 red Honda CRV was missing.

“I told my husband: do you know where the car’s at? And he looked at me and he says, ‘Uhh…’ We both were stunned,” Gallegos said.

In 2010, 377 cars were reported stolen; 485 were taken in 2011, 528 in 2012, 527 in 2013 and 625 in 2014. So far this year, police have received 441 reports of stolen vehicles, and recovered 329 of them.

The department has a 75 percent recovery rate this year.

“A lot of the times the cars aren’t damaged,” Gonzales said. “They’re just driven, found somewhere else and recovered.”

Gonzales said Hondas used to be the most commonly stolen cars, but now thieves are targeting all types of vehicles. He said drivers are making it easy for crooks.

“People are leaving their cars unlocked. They’re leaving their windows down. And then in a lot of cases people are leaving their keys in their vehicle,” he said.

There are simple steps, Gonzales said, that drivers can take to reduce their chances of being a victim.

“Don’t attract would-be criminals by leaving expensive items in there like laptops or cellphones,” he said.

As for Gallegos, she and her husband are sharing a car — for now.

“He’s going through cancer treatment so he needs the car to make it to his treatments,” Gallegos said.

She said they don’t have the money to buy another one.

“That’s why we kept our older car for 14 years. You know it was still running good and we were happy with it,” Gallegos said.