Just a little extra info now that I've had a chance to look at it a little closer. It almost appears that it was taken to get someone out of some mud. It's covered with mud but not all that much for someone who would take it just for fun. There are marks on the hood where the strap was laying after it had been in the mud, mud inside from shoes, and I can tell they were spinning both fwd and reverse. So either they got it stuck or they helped someone who was. The tow truck guy said it wasn't stuck when he got it tho.
It just seems odd that someone could open the door without setting off the alarm (factory alarm, so not really all that hard I guess), then start the Jeep and drive off without yanking the ignition lock. It kind of makes me wonder about parking outside anymore knowing that someone can just walk up, unlock the doors and drive off with your car any time they feel like it. Maybe I got a co-owner that I don't know about? Oh well, at least I don't have to replace the colum.
Watever the reason, at least they were nice enough not to trash the interior or the exterior too much, aside from the qtr panel. And besides the strap, all they took was my set of Staun deflators.
By the way, to answer Capt Nemo's question. It was parked right in front of my house on the street. Normally any noise out there would wake my oldest kid, but not this time. It also sits where 2 flood lights from the house shine almost right on it. Plus a street light no more than 15 yrds from it. Maybe I just helped them to see what they were doing with all the light.
Okay, enough :rattle: . Again thanks for the comments and hope to see ya'll out on the trail.
Rob D