Police say there's a valuable lesson to be learned from this.
On Tuesday 28 year old Aaron Luke Sullivan escaped from the Mountain Crest Healthcare facility. During that escape attempt he was able to steal three vehicles all because drivers left their keys in the ignition or in the car.
According to police, Sullivan assaulted a nurse at Mountain Crest Behavioral Healthcare Center on Corbett Drive and escaped in a stolen car just before noon on Tuesday. Police say Sullivan then stole a second car, abandoned that one and stole a third vehicle. When police caught up to Sullivan he even tried to drive off in one of the officer's cruiser.
"The officers were trying to detain him when he jumped into the car and put the car in gear. The officers were right there with him and were able to detain him and put the car out of gear but it did move just a little bit which constitutes a theft," said Rita Davis spokesperson for Fort Collins Police.
Davis says they have had nine stolen vehicles in the month of January while the cars were running unattended. Which in and of itself is against the law.
"That's a term that's called puffing, and puffing is illegal. It's a municipal code violation and it carry's a $25 dollar fine," said Davis.
And is the perfect opportunity for someone to steal your vehicle.
"I think this is a good example, is that during that event, he was able to encounter three vehicles that had the cars unlocked and with the keys either in the ignition or lying visibly in the car," Davis said.
No official charges have been filed against Sullivan. He is being held on $15,000 dollars bond. Other than the investigation for the assault, he is also going to be investigated for felony aggravated motor vehicle theft.
If Sullivan is able to post bond, a judge has ordered him to undergo an evaluation to determine if he is a threat to himself or others.