A Denver mother was recently forced to take the law into her own hands when her red Mazda SUV was stolen on Monday, navigating the situation herself after police told her there was a lack of available officers for investigation. The mom was able to find and retrieve her car within 15 minutes, however the thief alluded her.
Holly Kaufman was able to use Mazda’s mobile app, equipped with a vehicle tracker and engine shutoff switch, to locate and disable her stolen vehicle. Despite warnings from the dispatcher about potential danger, Kaufman pursued her stolen car, fearing losing it or finding it violated as she had in previous experiences with vehicle theft.
Denver mom finds her own stolen car after dispatch says there isn't "anyone on duty to help"https://t.co/CpPrXZBK4rhttps://t.co/CpPrXZBK4r
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 29, 2024
“In the past, I’ve had a vehicle stolen and they rip out your whole car, tear everything up, try to live in it and put drugs in it,” Kaufman explained.
Kaufman stated that she could not sit back and wait given not only the difficulties she faces financially from car payments but the impact the theft could have on her 4-year-old son, who she uses the vehicle to transport frequently. “This not happening in my car,” Kaufman expressed when faced with the theft. Within 15 minutes of searching, she was able to locate her SUV still in relatively good condition in a nearby Safeway parking lot.
Kaufman discovered multiple recently left items inside her vehicle after finding it, including beer, a pipe, and Target receipts. “I just feel super violated, and at that point in time, there is nothing that was going to change my mind, I was getting my car, I knew they didn’t have time, so I just got it myself” Kaufman told reporters.
Denver Police Department cautioned against taking matters into one’s own hands due to the potential dangers involved with confronting thieves, advising citizens instead to register vehicles with enabled GPS trackers in the DenverTrack program for quicker recovery assistance.
“She is like, ‘Ma’am, you are going to put yourself in danger,'” Kaufman spoke Kaufman of her call with dispatchers. “She said they don’t have anyone on duty to help me right now, so I said, ‘OK, this is the address I’m going to be at, I’m going to be there in five minutes and you can either meet me or I’ll be getting my car.'”
Despite her success, Kaufman warned against others taking matters into their own hands when confronted with thefts like she was. “I’m not advising people to do what I did, but at some point, something needs to change,” Kaufman remarked.
The Denver Police Department cautioned against people dealing with thefts on their own due to the risks involved with pursuing vehicle thieves without help from authorities. They recommended instead that residents register their vehicles and utilize available apps like DenverTrack to provide police with GPS tracking assistance.
