Police are reminding the public to keep vehicles locked and never leave them running after an incident in south-Windsor.
A resident was in the back seat of a running car with a young child at around 3pm Wednesday in the 2500 block of Ouellette Ave. when a "suspicious" man approached the vehicle.
Windsor Police Services say he noticed the keys in the ignition then opened the passenger side door and sat down before realizing there were passengers in the back seat.
The resident then screamed and scared the man off — he then fled the scene in a black pick-up truck. Sergeant Steve Betteridge tells AM800 News it's another example of why residents need to lock it, or lose it.
"Make sure the vehicle is locked and that we're not keeping valuables in a visual spot where a would-be thief could quickly look in and see valuables," he says. "Especially coming into our holiday shopping season, lock it or lose it. It's just a simple reminder, even if we're in our vehicle, to have that vehicle locked for safety purposes."
Betteridge says when it comes to valuables it's best to keep them out of sight and out of mind.
"Try to conceal them, possibly inside a trunk or covered with a blanket, and if you're doing a day's worth of shopping or visiting different establishments, you might want to even bring some of those packages home," he says. "You don't want to be an easy opportunity for a would-be thief."
The man is described as 30 to 35 years old with brown hair. He was last seen wearing jeans, a grey sweater, brown short-boots, and a distinctive dark coloured flat cap that is rounded with a small stiff brim.
Betteridge tells AM800 News they have identified the suspect and the Property Crimes Unit are "actively investigating" the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Windsor police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.