Car theft is a serious concern for many vehicle owners. Incidentally, some drivers will arm their beloved rides with anti-theft measures like trackers to protect their vehicles from theft or make recovery easier. Unfortunately, some motorists forget to follow the most basic crime-deterrents, like locking their cars.

Don’t be surprised when your ride is targeted for car theft when you forget to lock your doors

Last Monday, police in Lincoln, Nebraska arrested a 14-year-old boy for five car thefts and a stolen firearm. Unfortunately for the young joyrider, authorities charged him with six counts of felony theft after the crimes. However, one of the most disturbing things in the string of car thefts was the state of the vehicles the teen stole. Specifically, they were all unlocked.

That’s right. Car thieves are, more often than not, opportunists. Understandably, the crime of car theft is much more straightforward with no locked doors impeding access to a vehicle’s ignition. In the case of the Lincoln, Nebraska teenager, he prioritized five unlocked cars over two weeks. The 14-year-old would steal an unlocked car and park it at a church on the south side of the city, per Nebraska Now.

It wasn’t until police observed the young driver in one of the stolen vehicles that they finally arrested the boy for car theft and recovered the stolen property. Worryingly, the teen had also stolen a firearm from one of the unlocked cars. Fortunately, police recovered the discarded firearm before it could be used to conduct further crimes.

Americans leave their vehicles unlocked more than you might think, too. Tragically, Tulane University found that 80% of car theft cases in the United States were unlocked before the theft. Moreover, 31% of drivers admit to regularly leaving their vehicles unlocked. Paired with the 11% of motorists who acknowledge that they sometimes leave their key in the ignition, some drivers shouldn’t be surprised that a criminal absconds with their ride.