Manhattan Beach Car Thefts Jump in Past Week
Apr 11, 2026 09:53AM ● By MB News Staff
(Parking in the El Porto lot in Manhattan Beach, a favorite spot for car thieves)
A rash of car thefts in the past week has prompted Manhattan Beach Police to issue reminders about keeping your vehicle safe.
Manhattan Beach saw a total of six car thefts between April 2 and April 8 - an unusually high number relative to the past few weeks and months - as per this week's crime report from MBPD.
Five of those six thefts included:
April 4, 7:30 a.m.: A Toyota Tacoma was reported stolen from the El Porto parking lot, The driver had left the key in a lockbox.
April 4 - 10:00 a.m.: A Hyundai Sonata was reported stolen from the El Porto parking lot, The driver had left the keys inside the vehicle.
April 5 - 7:00 p.m.: A Kia Soul was reported stolen from the El Porto parking lot. The driver had left the vehicle locked and secured.
April 5 - 7:00 p.m.: A Ford Focus was reported stolen from the 900 block of Manhattan Ave. The driver had left the vehicle locked and secured.
April 5 - 11:00 p.m.: A Kia Soul was reported stolen from the 1100 block of Valley Drive. The driver had left the vehicle locked and secured.
How unusual is it to have six auto thefts in one week? By comparison, there was 1 auto theft the previous week, 0 thefts two weeks ago, 2 thefts three weeks ago, 2 thefts four weeks ago, and only 1 theft for the entire month of February.
MBPD has issued the following reminders to vehicle owners:
- Never leave keys in the car - criminals know all the hiding places
- Use a secure and high-quality ockbox. Lockboxes can help, but they're not foolproof
- Keep the lockbox attached to something secure, i.e. not a flimsy handle
- Be aware of "key fob proximity issues" - some newer key fobs can keep the car unlocked if it's too close, so test your setup
- Don't leave visible items in your car. Of course that applies to purses and wallets, but even towels can call attention to the inside of the vehicle and imply that there is something else is in it.
