El Paso Zoo Woman Who Jumped into Monkey Pen Fired From Law Firm Job
The woman who jumped into a spider monkey enclosure at the El Paso Zoo might wanna see if the zoo's hiring -- because she's been fired from her job as a litigation assistant.
The Lovett Law Firm in El Paso told KVIA they recognized the woman, Lucy Rae, as one of their employees at the firm's personal injury division and fired her on Monday after identifying her as the trespasser.
A spokesperson reportedly said it does not condone her actions nor had any advanced knowledge of her intentions. Translation: She embarrassed the firm, so she's gotta go.
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Rae's actions were described as "stupid and lucky" by the zoo's director because the monkeys could have done substantial damage. Rae jumped into the monkey pen over the weekend and fed Hot Cheetos to 2 monkeys, Libby and Sunday.
The zookeeper said Rae didn't just put herself in danger, but she also put the monkeys in danger because they're on a specialized diet, and the Hot Cheetos could cause stomach problems and bowel disruptions -- and who's gonna clean that up??!!
The zoo has filed a complaint with police and the case is under investigation. Lesson here ... leave the monkeyin' around to the monkeys.
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TikTok Party Massive Bash Broken Up by Cops with Tear Gas
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TikTok can draw a crowd for sure, much to the dismay of Huntington Beach residents.
An estimated thousand people swarmed the beachside community Saturday night and police broke up the bash that was called "Adrian's Kickback."
The party was advertised on Tiktok and went viral -- with users all over the country chiming in on the possible bash. The viral vids clearly did the trick, with hordes of people filing the SoCal beach and streets.
#HuntingtonBeach
— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) May 23, 2021 @shanermurph
Fireworks on the beach. pic.twitter.com/9I9y8tNcHZ
The crowd started to form at around 6:30 PM and things got rowdy pretty quickly. By 7:30 it was going full bore and then the fireworks started going off. By around 11:30 PM ... cops made their move, declaring the event an unlawful assembly.
Police dropped some pepper bullets. Firework thrown at police. I was just hit by less lethal munitions in bio and… back of head. #adrianskickback pic.twitter.com/hlwpk1Ah1Z
— Sean Carmitchel (@ACatWithNews) May 23, 2021 @ACatWithNews
Police used tear gas to break up the crowd. It was pretty much pure pandemonium as everyone started yelling as they either ran away or ran for cover.
At 11:30 PM the City imposed a curfew that lasted until 5:30 AM Sunday.
Adrians kickback @ Huntington Beach was a movie brah #adrianskickback #adrian #projectx #HuntingtonBeach pic.twitter.com/TfBvf3DLUC
— isaac (@isaacsweg) May 23, 2021 @isaacsweg
As for Adrian ... his name is Adrian Lopez and the celebration marked his birthday. All he said on TikTok was "pop out n celebrate my bday." That's all it took.
121 adults and 28 juveniles were arrested and booked for various charges including vandalism, the firing of dangerous/illegal fireworks, failure to disperse, and curfew violations.
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George Floyd Family to Visit White House ... Marking First Anniversary of Murder
George Floyd's family will travel to The White House Tuesday to meet with President Biden on the first anniversary of Floyd's murder ... this according to The Hill.
Biden has history with the family ... he spoke with them several times after Floyd's death. The visit coincides with Democrats trying to pass a bill bearing George Floyd's name ... a bill designed to reimagine policing in America.
It's unclear if the family will speak with members of Congress during their visit in support of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Among other things, the bill would ban chokeholds by federal officers. It would also end qualified immunity ... which bars families of police abuse from filing civil suits. The bill is expected to pass the house, but prospects in the Senate are far less certain.
Although Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd, civil rights activists like Tamika Mallory say the trial can't be looked at as a solution to police abuse.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris seemed more optimistic about the impact of the verdict. Biden told Floyd's daughter, Gianna, her dad "changed the world."
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Illinois Cops Mistake Urn Filled With Ashes For Drugs ... 'That's My Daughter!!!'
Newly released body cam footage shows a father in Illinois getting super emotional as cops searched an urn thinking they'd found his stash of meth -- only to discover it was actually his daughter's ashes.
In the video, the cop tells the man -- who's already 'cuffed in a police car -- they tested the contents of the small container, and believed it was drugs. Immediately, you can hear the anguish in the father's voice as he explains it's his daughter's remains and pleads for the officer to hand it over.
The Springfield, IL cop closed the door on the man -- during this April 2020 traffic stop -- and then seemed to laugh as he tells other officers about the situation, and says the substance tested positive for meth.
The cop opens his trunk -- apparently planning to do a retest -- and you can hear the father yelling from the backseat how important the urn and the ashes are to him.
You gotta see the video, because there was an interesting pow-wow between all the cops as they tried to decide what to do. They ended up handing over the ashes to his father, who was also on the scene.
The man is now suing the City of Springfield.
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Ozzy Osbourne Stolen Classic Guitar, Amp Recovered ... $25k Reward Unclaimed
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Ozzy Osbourne took a shot in the dark, and it's paying off -- some of the music gear looted from a school with ties to his late pal, Randy Rhoads, has been recovered.
Sources connected to the case tell TMZ ... Randy's first electric guitar and the original Peavey amp used for his "Quiet Riot" album were recovered earlier this week after someone turned them in to police. We're told the items have now been handed over to Randy's family.
Our sources say cops are still investigating how the items were stolen in the first place, and at this point, there have been no arrests.
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As for the $25k reward Ozzy offered up to track down the thieves ... our sources say it's unclaimed. We're told the person who turned in the stuff did NOT request the reward.
While at least 2 of the items were returned ... we’re told, sadly, Randy's mother's Great Depression-era trumpet is still MIA along with some of the other items Ozzy mentioned in his post back in December 2019.
As we reported ... the Black Sabbath frontman said the Musonia School of Music in North Hollywood had been broken into and thieves made off with at least 6 items that hold a special place in the heart of Randy's family and his fans.
Hopefully, the rest of the items are eventually recovered.
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Ronald Greene Fatal Arrest Footage Finally Released ... 'I'm Sorry. I'm Scared!!!'
The body cam footage of Ronald Greene's fatal arrest in Louisiana is finally out, and the brutal video -- showing him screaming for mercy while getting hit, kicked and tased -- clears up much of the mystery surrounding his death.
LA State Troopers arrested Greene way back in 2019 after he'd led them on a high-speed chase near Monroe, LA ... and the body cam shows more than a handful of officers were involved when he finally pulled over.
One officer almost immediately tased Greene while he was still inside his SUV, and you can hear Greene yelling, "I'm scared! I'm scared! I'm your brother, I'm scared!!"
Despite his cries, cops ended up dragging Greene out through the passenger side door -- and while he was handcuffed and on his stomach ... another officer repeatedly kicked him.
Louisiana authorities fought the release of this video for nearly 2 years, but the AP finally obtained the footage. Greene died on his way to the hospital, but police initially told his family he died by crashing his car into a tree during the chase.
That lie had been exposed months ago when audio from body cam mics was released, and one of the cops involved was recorded saying, "I beat the ever-living f**k out of him" ... referring to Greene's arrest.
"And I beat the ever-living fuck out of him."
— ᑎᗩᕼ. (@NotTiff_Tiffany) October 1, 2020 @NotTiff_Tiffany
"And then he went limp."
Louisiana State Trooper audio after he murders #RonaldGreene pic.twitter.com/lb5wWLUHZE
That officer, Chris Hollingsworth, was also recorded admitting at least 3 other cops were restraining Greene while they mercilessly beat him. Hours after finding out he was going to be suspended, Hollingsworth died in a fatal car crash.
The Greene family's filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit, and the Dept. of Justice was conducting its own investigation of the incident.
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'Scorpion' Star Elyes Gabel Allegedly Spat At, Shoved, Choked GF Charged with Misd. Assault
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Elyes Gabel -- who starred in all 4 seasons as the computer genius on "Scorpion" -- allegedly flew into a violent rage ... after cops say his girlfriend accused him of shoving and choking her in a profanity-laced argument that turned violent.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Gabel’s GF told cops she and Gabel got into a verbal argument last week after he returned to their room at the Bowery Hotel at around 3 AM ... following a night of drinking.
We're told at some point things turned physical ... with Gabel allegedly spitting at her face and threatening her saying, "c*** f***ing bitch. I'm going to punch your f***ing face in."
Our sources say Gabel’s GF claims Gabel grabbed her phone, flung it to the ground and cracked it before shoving her onto the couch. She told cops he then wrapped both hands around her neck and squeezed. We're told she didn't lose consciousness but did suffer substantial pain and redness around her neck.
Here’s what's interesting ... our sources say cops weren't called until 1 PM later that day. Unclear why.
We’re told the GF refused medical attention but Gabel eventually was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, aggravated harassment, attempted assault and harassment.
Gabel was later released without bail and our sources say a judge issued a temporary order of protection for the GF against Gabel, who is also known for playing Rakharo in seasons 1 and 2 on "Game of Thrones."
We've reached out to Gabel for comment and his attorney, Stacey Richman, tells TMZ ... Gabel vehemently denies the allegations.
Richman adds, "While the claims are sensationalistic, they are not accurate. Elyes would never conduct himself in the manner alleged. Nevertheless he will not disparage the complainant and looks forward to the facts emerging through the legal process."
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'Tiger King' Park Feds Seize 68 Cats from Jeff Lowe
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Nearly 70 cats from Jeff Lowe's "Tiger King" Park alleged to be endangered and abused have been seized by the feds.
The massive operation corralled 68 animals, including lions, tigers, lion-tiger hybrids and a jaguar from Jeff's zoo in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The feds say the seizure was part of an ongoing probe for Endangered Species Act violations.
According to the feds ... the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service conducted 3 inspections of the park since mid-December 2020, and during those inspections, the Lowes "received citations for failing to provide the animals with adequate or timely veterinary care, appropriate nutrition" and shelter that allows for normal behavior and protects them from bad weather.
What's more ... the feds say Lowe was supposed to employ a qualified veterinarian and establish a program of veterinary care that meets the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act, but Lowe's been found in contempt after months of non-compliance with court orders requiring him to do so.
The feds say they'll work "to ensure that [the animals] go to responsible animal preserves where they can be safely maintained rather than exploited."
TMZ broke the story ... the feds descended on Jeff's park earlier this week with a search warrant. During the raid ... Jeff was told to stay inside his house or he'd be arrested.
This week's raid had been the second time this month the feds had shown up. Jeff said they showed up a few weeks ago to haul several of his hybrid big cats -- animals he claimed were not protected under the Endangered Species Act.
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L.A. County to Vanessa Bryant You're Putting Deputies At Risk!!! In Kobe Crash Photo Case
Los Angeles County is calling out Vanessa Bryant ... claiming she's subjecting Sheriff's deputies to harassment by revealing their names in the lawsuit she filed over photos taken at the Kobe helicopter crash site.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, attorneys for L.A. County say Kobe Bryant's widow is aggressively conducting a "fishing expedition that is taking first responders away from their jobs." The County is referring to the fact Vanessa posted the names of 4 deputies who allegedly took pics of remains.
As we reported ... she won a legal battle in March to obtain the names of the deputies and promptly put 'em on blast on her IG.
In the docs, L.A. County attorneys say Vanessa is going too far with a "straightforward case" ... and her social media posts are exposing the deputies to threats.
Remember, Vanessa filed suit back in September against the L.A. County Sheriff's Department after learning deputies had taken, and shared, pics amid the wreckage of the helicopter that crashed killing Kobe, their daughter Gianna and 7 others.
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Andrew Brown Jr. Shooting Video Released Cops keep job & Dodge charges
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1:36 PM PT -- Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten Jr. just announced that the 3 deputies directly involved in Andrew Brown Jr.'s death are going to keep their jobs ... but will be disciplined and retrained, despite not being charged criminally.
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Wooten said 2 of the deputies involved didn't turn on their body cameras that day, and the team failed to have EMS on standby ... which he says probably wouldn't have saved Brown, but still needed to be done per policy.
The Sheriff also said more training is in store for the deputies, as well as the rest of the guys on the SOAT (Special Operations and Tactics Team), because he wants to make sure they're implementing "best practices" ... and repeatedly referenced being able to "do better" in these types of situations.
He stopped short of saying his boys did a piss-poor job, but if you read between the lines -- that seems to be what he's getting at, which potentially opens the Sheriff's Office and the County to a civil lawsuit from the Brown family.
10:47 AM PT -- One of the attorney's for Brown's family, Harry Daniels, says deadly force was NOT justified because Andrew wasn't using his car as a weapon, despite what the D.A. feels.
Daniels joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and said the officers who shot at Andrew weren't the ones who had to jump out of the way of his car ... and Daniels claims cops violated department policy by shooting at Brown as he drove away.
He says Andrew posed no threat to the police when the bullets started flying.
The Andrew Brown Jr. police shooting video has just been released to the public ... and the D.A. said no charges would be filed against the officers.
In the police body camera footage, released Tuesday, you see a bunch of cops armed to the teeth ... rolling up to Andrew's home as he sits in his BMW in the driveway.
Video shows the cops hopping out of their truck and pointing weapons at Andrew's car as they surround it, telling him to stop the car and swearing at him. Footage shows him driving off as the police unleash a barrage of bullets.
Next, you see Andrew's driving away over a lawn and then crashing into a tree. The police then run over to the vehicle, surrounding it and pointing their guns as they bark at him to show his hands.
Brown's family walked the media through the video last week, saying a cop fired one shot and Brown began to back up, fearing for his life. They said he never made a menacing move toward the cops and called it an unjustified killing.
The video you're watching was shown at a news conference held by the D.A., Andrew Womble. He said no charges would be filed because he views the shooting as "justified." Womble said there was an apparent risk to the officers' lives and that justified the use of deadly force.
And this is interesting ... the D.A. mentioned in the news conference the Coroner found meth in Brown's mouth. Fact is ... it's irrelevant, because the police didn't know that when they fired at him so what they did stands on its own. It does, however, seem the D.A. mentioned it to "dirty up" Brown.
Originally published -- 8:49 AM PT
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Danny Masterson Claims Leah Remini Worked with LAPD Threatened to Put Them on Blast If They Screwed Up
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Danny Masterson claims Leah Remini was pushing the LAPD to get him prosecuted in his rape case ... and threatened to put them on blast if they dropped the ball.
In docs, obtained by TMZ, Masterson claims Leah's meddling in his case was so outrageous she had an LAPD detective named Becker, who allegedly moonlighted as her bodyguard, making calls about his rape case.
In docs, Masterson claims this police officer/bodyguard "had a history of trying to influence LAPD investigations" at Leah's direction. Masterson claims when the cop contacted Austin PD in 2016 about Jane Doe 3's police report, the Austin PD detective was so taken aback by it she wrote in her report "Becker has no professional investigative interest in this report, as he does not investigate sexual assault cases. It is later revealed he is Leah Remini’s close friend.'"
Masterson claims Leah personally made phone calls to the lead investigator on the case and that the LAPD actively encouraged her to participate in the investigation. And, get this ... Masterson claims a detective on the case went as far as telling her she's "vital to the investigation."
Masterson also claims Leah discussed telling the Jane Doe stories on her TV show, "Scientology and the Aftermath." He claims she had spoken to the girls and had intentions of putting them on her series.
The collusion runs so deep, Masterson claims, Leah wanted to attend the DA's interviews of the women, and he alleges the Deputy DA played ball for a while ... before things went south between Leah and prosecutors.
In the docs, Masterson claims Leah threatened the prosecution with a negative PR campaign, saying, "I told [Det.] Reyes from the beginning, ‘I’m telling you, if you screw this up I’m putting you and the whole LAPD on Blast. Not because I want to, but because they deserve to be heard.’ And you can’t keep being in business with the Church of Scientology because you have no balls.”
As we reported, Masterson claimed Leah's anti-Scientology campaign is the driving force behind the accusations in his rape case.
We've reached out to Leah's team for comment, so far no word back.
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Lucky Sea Dog Takes Ruff Boat Ride in Spain ... Rescued by Coast Guard
An out-of-control boat with a dog on board is not something any animal lover wants to see, but fortunately ... this wild story has a paws-itively happy ending.
The unmanned Zodiac boat was spotted circling in the ocean Monday, about 300 meters off the coast of Almunecar, Spain with no one at the helm except a dog. Photographer, Huw Evans, knew something was up, and captured the ordeal that unfolded.
Evans says he feared the boat's actual skipper had fallen overboard so his crew went to investigate, and that's when they noticed the poor solo doggy tied up on board.
The Coast Guard arrived soon after, and first tried to corral the boat by snagging its propeller but that didn't work. So, then someone tried to jump on board, but also failed and fell in the water.
Evans said, "It was quite a wild ride, when [the rescuer] fell off I was worried he might be hurt by the propeller but luckily it missed him." Thankfully, a much bigger Coast Guard boat showed up and managed to snag the boat.
The salty old sea dog was rescued and returned to its owner ... and the pooch now has a great story to tell its pups.
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Jeff Lowe Feds Seize More Exotic Cats ... During New Zoo Raid
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At this rate, NO ONE is gonna be Tiger King ... Jeff Lowe's "Tiger King" Park keeps losing attractions -- we've learned the feds showed up again to seize even more of his big cats.
The "Tiger King" star tells TMZ ... his zoo in Thackerville, Oklahoma got raided Monday morning by 40-50 federal agents. Jeff says they showed up at 7 AM with a search warrant and told him to stay inside his house or he'd be arrested.
According to Lowe ... the feds are in the process of seizing about 70 animals. Jeff tells us he believes they are looking for tiger cubs on the property, but he says they don't have any.
Jeff says the warrant -- which appears to have been issued by a federal judge in the Eastern District of Oklahoma -- cites the Endangered Species Act as the reason for the search and seizure.
What's going down Monday at "Tiger King" Park seems very similar to what happened earlier this month ... when Jeff told us the feds showed up to haul away several of his hybrid big cats -- animals he claims are NOT protected under the Endangered Species Act.
As we first told you ... the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was the lead agency for that raid -- but the USDA was also present during the seizure of the animals. It's unclear if that's the same situation for Monday's raid or if other agencies are involved.
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Tiger on the Loose The Cat's Been Found!!!
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The tiger hunt is over ... the big cat is fine, though super stressed out.
The 175-lb Bengal Tiger was not found ... it was turned in by a woman named Gia, who is the wife of the guy who was arrested earlier this week -- Victor Cuevas, who claimed the tiger didn't belong to him.
The 9-month-old tiger, whose name is India, was the subject of a massive search last week after it was spotted roaming a Houston neighborhood.
The Houston PD posted a vid of India ... bejeweled in a turquoise collar. The tiger's still kinda a baby ... it was being bottle-fed, but don't let that fool you -- fully grown, India will weigh 600 lbs.
HPD Chief Ron Borza said Gia led authorities to a tennis club where India was being kept. Apparently, the tiger was moved around some over the last week. Chief Borza said the tiger was stressed out and agitated, adding, "The animal likes attention."
Borza said Gia knew the entire week where India was, so it calls into serious question what her husband, Victor Cuevas maintained ... that he did not own the cat.
No charges have been filed, and cops don’t know how the alleged owner, Cuevas, came into possession of India, Borza said.
Cuevas was arrested last week, but not for tiger possession ... he was picked up on an unrelated murder charge.
No charges have been filed in connection with the tiger ... at least not yet.
India will be sent to the Cleveland Armory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, TX ... which is 3 hours away from Houston.
Chief Borza had a funny comment ... "I think the public thought it would be easy to catch a tiger, but it wasn't at all." No kidding.
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'Storage Wars' Jarrod Charged with Dom. Violence ... Allegedly Pushed Brandi
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"Storage Wars" stars Jarrod Schulz and his ex, Brandi Passante, might be cordial on the show after their break-up, but behind the scenes, he's now facing criminal charges for allegedly roughing her up.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Brandi was hanging with friends at a bar in Orange County on April 30 when Jarrod showed up. We're told the exes got into a heated exchange and Brandi told Jarrod to bounce.
Our sources say Jarrod didn't, and that's when things took a turn for the worse. We're told at some point, Jarrod allegedly pushed Brandi twice ... while yelling at her and her group.
Cops were called to the bar, but we're told Jarrod had left by the time they showed up. A police report was taken ... and a few days later Jarrod talked to cops, and denied ever putting hands on Brandi.
Well, the Orange County D.A.s Office isn't buying his version of events, because it's now charged him with 1 count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery.
Jarrod and Brandi have appeared in all 13 seasons of the hit A&E show. They're dubbed "The Young Guns" because they're the youngest auction bidders in the main cast.
But, during the season 13 premiere last month, Brandi confirmed on-camera for the first time she and Jarrod split up 2 years ago. They have 2 kids together.
We've reached out to Jarrod for comment, so far no word back.
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Rapper Kash Doll Claims She Lost $500k in Car Burglary While Shooting Music Vid!!!
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Kash Doll's gotta be beating herself up, telling cops a burglar made off with $500k of her jewels that she'd still have ... if only she had locked her doors.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the "Rich Hoochie" rapper suffered the massive loss after someone looted her car in the San Fernando Valley while she was filming a music video.
We're told the theft went down between 11 PM and 5 AM. It's bad enough having to deal with the loss, but talk about a migraine trigger ... cops say the burglar gained entry thanks to an unlocked door.
What we don't know ... will insurance cover the loss and if not, what were her policy limits?
Our sources say the burglar swiped tons of expensive jewelry and even a $50k Louis Vuitton box. So far, no arrests have been made.
It's one thing if burglars break windows to get into expensive cars -- sorry, Lil Pump 😡 -- but, to lose the stuff this way -- Ouch!
As cops love to broadcast in PSAs ... Lock it, hide it, keep it or at the very least lock your doors.