VALDOSTA — A Lowndes County man was arrested last week for motor vehicle theft, police said Monday.

At about 9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, officers responded to a convenience store in the 700 block of East Park Avenue on a report of a vehicle that had just been stolen, a Valdosta Police Department report said.

Officers found the vehicle soon after and made a traffic stop, arresting the man they found driving the car, the statement said. The owner left the car unlocked while inside the store, police said.

Ronald Issac, 50, of Valdosta is charged with felony theft by taking – motor vehicle, police said.

“We ask that citizens do not leave their vehicles unattended, while unlocked and running. This incident shows how quickly a crime can occur,” VPD Lt. Scottie Johns said in a statement.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.