NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Metro police are warning gym-goers to lock up their belongings after multiple reports of keys being taken from locker rooms and used to steal cars.
“People go to the gym, they’re focused on I’ve got to get my workout in, maybe it’s chest day, maybe I’m trying to get some cardio in,” West Precinct Investigations Lt. Keith McNamara explained. “But in the meantime, somebody else has other plans.”
West Precinct officers are working hard to catch at least four suspects after keys were taken from the Planet Fitness on Charlotte Pike last week and the Bellevue YMCA on April 13.
“What they’re doing is they’re taking keys, wallets and other valuables out of unsecured lockers and then they’ll take those keys out to the parking lot and steal the car while the patron is inside working out,” Lt. McNamara said.
These car thefts go beyond just an inconvenience. Oftentimes, they’re used to commit other crimes down the line.
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“It’s not usually that they just steal the car just for the sake of having the car, they will use these cars to go ahead and commit other crimes whether it be burglaries, commercial burglaries, residential burglaries, or they will use them for moving illegal drugs around and then next thing you know we end up in a chase and a car is wrecked or destroyed or abandoned.”
Lt. McNamara is urging patrons to invest in a simple padlock to avoid falling victim to this crime. He said these criminals act quickly, often in a matter of seconds, and are long gone by the time gym-goers realize their cars are missing.
“Having to file a police report for a stolen vehicle, risking damage to that vehicle that you’ll have to fix later, contacting your insurance after the fact,” Lt. McNamara described. “Just such a simple thing can save you a whole lot of time and a whole lot of headache.”
He said these gym thefts aren’t only happening in West Nashville, but also across the county. If you have any information on these suspects, you’re asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-74-CRIME or email westinvestigations@nashville.gov.
Patrons are encouraged to alert management or police if they notice any suspicious behavior in locker rooms, including people who don’t appear to be members.
