Car thefts and auto parts heists seem to be more common now than ever before. Soaring car prices and long waits for parts have led to a spike in all sorts of vehicle-related crimes. People make off with catalytic converters, stereos, and other components, but the key concept here is that they leave when the job is done. One family in the UK woke to find that a thief had struck their driveway, but they didn't have to look far for a suspect because he was asleep in their car.

The embarrassing incident happened a little over a week ago on a quiet dead-end street. Police issued a neighborhood alert that a car thief was on the prowl. The following day, the mother noticed the alert and checked to make sure their vehicles were still in place. Seeing that both appeared safe, she thought nothing more of it until her son came running to tell her a man was asleep at the wheel.

The family's Audi Q7 hadn't been stolen, but it had become the overnight accommodation for a thief who just couldn't keep his eyes open. The Q7 is a comfortable family hauler with deep, well-padded front seats and a commanding driving position, so it's possible the thief just found himself in a comfy spot and couldn't stop nodding off.

"We didn't know whether to laugh or cry," the mother told reporters. "It was scary to see the man who had broken in, but funny that he made himself cozy and dozed off."

The attempted theft was caught on the family's security camera. In the video, we can see a man in a dark jacket enter the Audi. The thief turned out to be the same person from the neighborhood alert. Wanting to let the police give the man a wake-up call, the family kept their dog quiet and waited for authorities to arrive. When they found the thief, he'd gathered CDs, cash, and other items from the Audi before falling asleep. The 42-year-old man tried to talk his way out of the situation by claiming he hadn't taken anything, but that doesn't excuse his errant slumber or petty theft.