Car stolen at Greenwich restaurant as trend continues

GREENWICH — Thieves are continuing to target local restaurants as the latest hunting ground for stealing cars, according to police.

In January, officers noted an uptick in the thefts of cars from local stores and restaurants, and that trend is continuing, police said.

A 2020 Range Rover was stolen from a restaurant parking lot on the 520 block of East Putnam Avenue on Wednesday evening, when the keys were left inside the vehicle, police said.

Many of the car thefts are carried out in residential neighborhoods by juveniles from other parts of the region, Greenwich Police Lt. Martin O’Reilly said.

But a number of car thefts have also been carried out by “professional crews,” typically operating from New Jersey and working in business districts to find vehicles to steal, O’Reilly said.

In addition to local restaurants, recreational areas have also been targeted by car thieves looking for vehicles with keys or starting devices left inside, police said. In late 2021, two Land Rovers were stolen on a mid-morning Sunday at a local country club, police said.

A 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLA was also reported from a residence on Valley Road in Cos Cob on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, police said.

So far this year, 51 vehicles have been reported stolen in the town of Greenwich, according to police statistics. The department recorded 85 stolen cars in 2021, and 130 in 2020, which was a record.

Larcenies from vehicles are also continuing, police said. Personal items were stolen from two cars, in the overnight hours of Tuesday, one from Cognewaugh Road and another on Valley Road, police said.