A Fort Mill man told authorities that someone stole his car keys from inside the Baxter YMCA last week and took off with his 2018 Honda Accord.
The vehicle was abandoned the same day in a back corner of the YMCA parking lot, where a deputy found an electronic cigarette and vitamin water bottle inside the car that didn’t belong to the victim.
YMCA officials say this is the first time something like this has happened in the gym’s 15-year history in Fort Mill, said Rommel Ritarita, regional vice president.
“I don’t know whether you could consider it stolen or returned,” Ritarita said, adding that gym users can secure their keys in a locker.
Victim Gregg Auld told authorities that he was working out upstairs last Monday (July 1). He said he left his keys on a shelf area upstairs in the weight room where people leave bags and keys while they exercise.
When he went to get his keys and leave, the keys were gone. The front desk didn’t have them and his car was missing when he went outside to check, according to a sheriff’s report. Auld told authorities the vehicle was less than seven months old and valued at $32,000.
Auld parked on the pool side but walked the entire parking lot to check for it. A deputy took the victim home and then returned to see of the YMCA could give him a list of people who checked in between 1 p.m. and 2:40 p.m.
“I drove through the back parking lot and located Mr. Auld’s vehicle backed into the parking space near a back corner,” a deputy said in their report. “I could not locate the keys anywhere around the vehicle.”
Mr. Auld was brought back to the YMCA, where he told the officer that the electronic cigarette and water bottle were not his. Officers took fingerprints from the driver side door, the report says.
The YMCA has not taken any specific action to warn members about the theft or against leaving keys on the shelf, Ritarita said.
“They are not forced to leave their keys there,” he said. “Members have options to put their keys in other places if they don’t feel leaving it on the kiosk is safe.”
Ritarita said the YMCA is fully cooperating with the sheriff’s office investigation into the theft.