Guilford Police are warning residents to be cautious after a car was stolen while the driver left their car unlocked for a few minutes to warm up.
Officials said that at about 6:45 a.m., a car was stolen in the Guilford Lakes area. The homeowner was trying to warm up their car because of the extreme cold temps when a black sedan pulls up, a man gets out, jumps in the car and drives off.
Police were able to locate the car but it didn't stop and continued onto Interstate 95. Within 10 minutes, the car was found unoccupied on the highway and returned to the owner.
The car is undriveable because of damage that happened when driven by the thief, police said.
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Authorities say car thefts are a regular occurrence and drivers should be on high alert. This includes locking your cars, taking your stuff and your keys.
"If you take away the opportunity, these crimes very rarely happen," police said.