It’s tempting when making a quick stop at the ATM, to leave your car running. After all, you’ve got the heater adjusted just right, the engine’s already warmed-up, and your phone’s Bluetooth has already taken the extra 15 seconds to connect to the car’s stereo. But leaving your vehicle running when you’re not in it is a dangerous proposition no matter how quick your errand — something Ludacris has, unfortunately — and ironically, considering his role in the Fast & Furious films — learned the hard way.
Atlanta’s NBC affiliate reported the rapper was forced to flag down police late yesterday afternoon after someone jumped in his Mercedes-Benz while he was using an ATM and sped off, leaving the rapper stranded. He didn’t see the thief, but police were able to track the car electronically and eventually located it at an apartment complex in Midtown. The car was returned about five hours after it was stolen and some of Luda’s property from inside was retrieved at another location in northwest Atlanta.
Atlanta police said that of the 99 cars stolen this year so far, 76 had keys in the ignition or were running at the time, so keep that information in mind when you have errands to run. In any case, Luda is far from the only rapper to have to deal with brazen midday theft. In 2019, Young Dolph’s Benz was broken into at a Cracker Barrel, resulting in $500,000 worth of jewelry being stolen, and in 2018, someone stole a hard drive full of Quality Control music from an engineer’s car. So, lock those doors, take the keys with you, and never leave anything valuable in plain view.
