WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police recovered two stolen vehicles inside of an hour Thursday.
Watsonville Police Service Specialist Marilyn Lopez noticed the first vehicle, a 2000 Honda CRV, on Hill Avenue at Tuttle Street at 12:10pm. Lopez said she had spotted the green SUV parked in the same spot several days in a row, raising her suspicion.
Her suspicion paid off when she ran the license plate to 911 dispatchers and it revealed the Honda had been stolen in Watsonville. Lopez contacted the registered owner and the vehicle was handed back to them.
Then, just after 1pm, WPD officers were notified of a stolen car parked on the 500 block of Union Street just off of Riverside Drive. When officer Sergio Banuelos ran the plate, the silver 2000 Honda Civic also turned out to be stolen.
WPD Sgt. Mike Ridgway said earlier models of Hondas are often targeted in vehicle thefts.
“Stolen vehicles are simply a constant problem,” Ridgway said. “One big issue is when people leave their cars running to warm up, and when they come back outside the car is gone. We strongly advise people to never leave a running vehicle unattended.”
The owner of the Civic was also contacted and their car was returned.
