GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - As the West Michigan weather gets colder, many people go out and start their cars ahead of time to warm them up.
That's what Tim Music says he did Wednesday morning. He says he went outside in his robe to start his 1993 Dodge Intrepid, and left it running in front of his house on Cora Street in Grand Rapids.
But a few minutes later, when he went out to drive his son to school, the car was gone.
"I'm standing out here in the road in shock," he says. "It was definitely gone."
"I didn't believe him at first," says his son, 14 year old Nick Music. "I thought he was mistaken. But I came out and it was gone."
Police found the stolen car parked a few blocks away on Ravine Drive, across from Westwood Middle School and Union High School.
Thinking the thieves might be students, officers had the vehicle under surveillance at the end of the school day. They were ready to pounce when three young suspects walked up and jumped into the car.
"The police were sitting down at the end of the road," says neighbor Nathan Gless. "The kids no more than got in the car and the cops were here. I think one was hiding over in the bushes. They were right on top of it."
"[The police] caught them red handed trying to get in and drive away with it again," says owner Tim Music.
Music says there is a faulty lock on one of his doors and that's how he thinks the thieves got into the car. He says he's disappointed and angry his car was stolen and he wants the boys to be punished for the crime.
"We've lived here so many years and it's never happened and we didn't think it would," says Music.
But that's not changing Music's routine.
"I'll probably warm it up again. Just make sure every door is locked. And I'll be watching it a lot closer, I'll tell you that," he adds with a laugh.
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