Theft of Keys From Cubby, Then Car From Parking Lot a First for YMCA

First someone stole keys from an unsecured shelf inside the YMCA. Then the person walked outside and stole the car from the parking lot.

It's not something North Canton YMCA employees are used to seeing, exactly.

"This is the first time that’s ever happened," said Debbie Goldthorpe, associate executive director of the Y. "The vast majority of people who come in and out of here wouldn't even consider doing anything like that. It only takes one.”

According to the North Canton police report, a 63-year-old North Canton man discovered some of his jacket and keys missing from inside  about 5 p.m. April 1 and walked outside only to discover his $23,000 Honda Accord also was gone.

The theft ran in the North Canton Patch police blotter Friday and garnered comments from and on the North Canton Patch Facebook page.

The police report hadn't made clear exactly where the man had placed his belongings before they were stolen. Goldthorpe said they were on a shelf in the YMCA Wellness Center.

So, aside from this one pretty extraordinary incident, do YMCA officials consider theft is a problem in the building in general? Not really.

"Not for the thousands and thousands of people who go in and out of here in a week," Goldthorpe said. "Locks are available at the front desk, there are locker rooms and locks for the lockers. We provide plenty of opportunities to lock things up. The fact is, anywhere you go, if you leave things laying around you run that risk."

Goldthorpe said YMCA employees encourage people to lock up their items, and more people than ever before are doing that.