So you were out walking your dog the other day and noticed something odd on your street. A car you don’t recognize is parked in front of your house. You get closer and realize the vehicle is all beat up. You wonder, Was this car stolen and stashed on my street? Here are three indicators that a car just got nabbed.

A broken window

How do you get into a locked car? Often, thieves break a window so they can jump inside, deactivate the alarm, and attempt to hotwire the car to drive it away. Some thieves opt to break a rear window so it’s slightly more comfortable, and less conspicuous, to drive the car down the road.

Missing license plates

If someone reports a car stolen, the police will look for its license plates. Some cities even install automated license plate readers on police cars and garbage trucks to scan for any plates of interest. So a parked car without any license plates is a bit suspicious. But it may be a vehicle your neighbor just bought and hasn’t had a chance to get plates for.

Key tumbler removed

If you pass close by a suspicious vehicle, look at the steering column. Is there a hole where you’d normally insert the key? Thieves often remove this “tumbler” to manually spin the switch behind it and start the car.

If you feel safe getting even closer to the car, you can look at the VIN number on a plate behind the windshield. A quick search in the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s database will tell you whether it’s been reported stolen. But there’s no reason to put yourself in harm’s way. If the vehicle looks suspicious, you can always just call your local police department’s non-emergency line. If a vehicle of the same make and model was reported stolen, your tip may be the reason a driver gets their beloved ride back.