Woman Issues Warning After Terrifying De-Icing Mistake Left Her With No Car

After defrosting the car outside her house, a woman has sent out a chilling warning.

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Kasia Wasilewska, 34, briefly returned to her Bentilee house while her Nissan Juke was de-icing, as many drivers do during the winter.

Fabian, the mother's ten-year-old son, was holding the car keys while his mother went inside to get an ice scraper.

On Sunday, December 3, at approximately 10.35 a.m., the two were on their way to church.

But her son was left feeling really disturbed when the mother went back to the car.

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A man had approached him, grabbed the car keys, shoved him aside, and then driven off, according to Fabian.

The mother's verification, bank card, and driver's license were still in the car, and the burglar tried to use Kasia's card to purchase a Greggs at a neighboring gas station.

Thankfully, the card was refused after she alerted her bank.

On suspicion of stealing a car without the owner's permission, a 49-year-old Stoke-on-Trent man has been placed under custody.

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Kasia, a Stoke-based debt collection firm employee, stated: "What has happened to us is horrible. It's such a shock. Fabian was pushed out of the way. He was in shock because he didn't know what was going on.”

"Thankfully he wasn't hurt but he's still thinking this was his fault when I explained there is nothing he could have done.”

"I'd been taking snow off the windscreen and went back in the house to get something to clear the front windscreen.”

"When I came back outside I said what's going on and at first I thought the car had skidded along the road because of the ice. My son said a man had told him to get out of the way, taken the keys out of his hand, pushed him out of the way, and then jumped into the car.”

"The car was driven off and I called the police straight away. An attempt was made to use my bank card at a Greggs at a petrol station on Longton Hall Road in Blurton about 40 minutes later.”

"We were getting ready to go to church to do preparation for my son's Holy Communion and we were going to go out for tea and cake afterward. We couldn't go as we had to wait for police to speak to us."

Kasia added: "I believe there have been a few incidents of cars being stolen when someone was defrosting them. I just want to make people aware of this so it doesn't happen to them.”

"We've been left without a car and I am having to rely on friends for lifts to work and to take my son to school."

A representative for Staffordshire Police stated: "We have arrested a man after a car was stolen whilst it was defrosting in Stoke-on-Trent. It happened just before 10.45am on Sunday.”

"A woman was defrosting her Nissan Juke in Bentilee. Her son was holding the keys when he was approached by a man who grabbed them off him and drove off.”

"We started work straight away to track the car. It was found near Northcote Street on Monday (December 4). A 49-year-old man, from Stoke-on-Trent, has been arrested on suspicion of taking a car without the owner’s consent.”

"He is being questioned about what happened in custody today (5 December)."

Inspector Mark Burslem of the local policing force in Stoke South stated: “Vehicle theft is a priority for all ten local policing teams across Staffordshire. We will go after those responsible and we will protect the hard-earned belongings of our communities.”

“The cold weather has brought with it an increased number of reports of attempted vehicle thefts whilst cars are being left to defrost. It might be convenient to do so, but it’s also convenient for thieves and opportunists.”

“We are urging everyone to stay with their vehicles whilst they are defrosting. By taking extra steps to limit the chances of being targeted by thieves, we can continue to tackle vehicle theft and make progress against those responsible.”