On Tuesday morning, Sarah Stern’s housemates noticed her car was missing from their driveway on Frontenac Street. After looking around, the students realized their house had been broken into and the keys to Stern’s vehicle had been stolen from the home.

In an email to The Journal on Wednesday, Stern, Sci ’20, explained the incident likely occurred just after midnight on Tuesday.

“We realized by looking at the broken screens, blood on the windowsills, and footprints that someone had come in through our windows while we were sleeping, searched for my keys, found them, and drove away with my car,” Stern wrote.

While Stern and her housemates are aware that minor thefts occasionally occur in the university district, this incident left them in disbelief.

“I was shocked and upset that such an invasive, unsettling break-in and large theft happened like this — especially somewhere that so many students call home,” Stern wrote.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Stern looked to Queen’s students for any information about her stolen car. She described the vehicle as a 2012 white Subaru Outback with a Canadian flag sticker and an Illinois license plate.

Stern still has no idea who could’ve stolen her car, but speculates, based on the large footprints and bike tracks in the snow, that  it could’ve been two men on bikes. Upon discovering the theft, Stern immediately filed an auto theft report with the police.

In an email to The Journal on Wednesday, Kingston Police said they couldn’t speak to the specific details of the case, as it’s an active investigation. However, Media Relations Officer Cameron Mack advised students to always be prepared to contact police immediately with all details of your vehicle — including colour, make, model, distinguishing features and contents — if stolen. 

While Stern and her housemates kept their house locked up, she advised students  to take extra precautions to protect themselves from theft.

“Always keep your car keys, house keys, and valuable personal belongings out of sight or with you if possible,” Stern wrote. “We’re very careful about locking our doors but always make sure every window is latched shut — especially as the weather gets warmer.”