Calgary police make arrests in $1.2M auto thefts – Calgary

Calgary police have charged a pair in connection with the theft of vehicles valued at more than $1 million.

Police believe five thefts took place over a two and a half week period beginning on October 17. These thefts include a Ford Mustang and nine other vehicles from a Hertz location in Vista Heights, a Lexus RX350 and Mercedes-Benz GLC from a Carstar auto body repair shop in Royal Vista, a Ford Explorer left outside a home ran in Redstone and a Chevrolet Silverado located unattended in a parking lot in the 2100 block of 100 Avenue NE

Investigators compared evidence from the scenes and were able to identify two possible perpetrators. The police arrested a man and a woman.

Brandon Stevens, 29, faces 49 criminal charges including burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance and failure to comply with a court order.

Jessica Hennessy (29) was charged with 15 counts, including burglary, possession of a controlled substance and failure to comply with a court order.

The police were able to recover 11 of the 14 stolen vehicles, valued at $1.2 million.

“By devoting resources to monitoring our most prolific offenders, we can more quickly identify crimes they may be connected to and take action to prevent further victimization,” Acting Sgt. Dan de Villenfagne said in a statement.

“In this case, offenders sought to capitalize on crimes of opportunity, and were able to steal a large number of uninsured vehicles from citizens and businesses in Calgary.”

The Calgary Police Service launched Operation Cold Start on the same day that details of the above incidents were released. The annual information campaign is in response to a noticeable increase in car thefts during the winter months in Calgary.

Police have the following tips to prevent theft from cars left unattended while running:

• Never leave spare keys or garage door openers in or around your vehicle.
• Never leave a running vehicle unattended if the keys are inside the vehicle or if the vehicle is started with a keyless ignition or push button.
• Use a remote starter whenever possible and keep your vehicle locked.
• If you warm up your vehicle with the keys in the ignition or with a push button start, stay with your vehicle.
• Use a steering wheel lock to deter thieves.
• Never leave children or pets in a running vehicle.
• Do not leave valuables, including identity documents and bank cards, in a vehicle.
• Report suspicious activity to the police immediately by calling 403-266-1234 or 9-1-1 for crimes in progress.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.