The City of Santee has been a target of a number of recent car thefts, prompting increased patrols from authorities in the area.
Sara Irwin told NBC 7 that she got quite the surprise the morning of September 28 when she walked out to her parking space.
"I was getting the kids ready for school, I came out to my car and it was gone," Irwin said.
Her Mazda, was stolen in the middle of the night.
"At first I thought maybe it was a joke; but then I looked around a bit and knew it was gone," she said.
Irwin said her car was locked but she had left a key fob, which usually didn’t work, inside the car.
Deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) told NBC 7 cases like this are popping up all over Santee, including the 8200 block of Graves Avenue where four vehicles were reported stolen in the last couple of weeks.
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Neighbors who have heard about Irwin's experience say they are now keeping a close eye on their property.
"Now that I've talked to some neighbors about it, yes, there's been a few people saying that their cars have been broken into, things stolen out of it," Irwin said. "My whole car was gone, so I was a little sad."
Deputies in Santee say they are increasing patrols in areas that are seeing an uptick in crime.
So far, no arrests have been made.
