6 News learned more about a man police said stole a car in Richland Township Thursday morning, leading police on a chase that eventually ended in a crash.

Police said Kevin Plummer took the car from the Pizza Hut parking lot. A pursuit started when a Dale Borough police officer spotted the stolen car and tried to pull the driver over. That's when things escalated as the driver led police on a chase through the city of Johnstown.

6 News reporter Maria Miller uncovered Plummer may be part of an auto-theft ring. It wasn't long after the crash that she caught up with police about a block away from the scene. They were filing a report on another stolen car that they said Plummer played a role in stealing.

Police said at least four cars in Richland Township and another in the city of Johnstown have been reported stolen within the past month. After Plummer was arrested Thursday morning, police said he admitted his involvement and even led police to a stolen Dodge Spirit that they said he had parked on G Street in the West End. That's only a block away from where he crashed a stolen Grand Am into a police cruiser.

"There are other people. He is not acting alone," said detective Kevin Gaudlip from Richland Township police. "We are furthering our investigation into what I would describe as a small auto-theft ring operating in our area."

But Gaudlip said there's a recurring theme in every case that makes crimes easy to commit.

"In all of those vehicles the keys were left either in the ignition or in the vehicle," he said. "In none of these cases have we had smashed-out windows and hotwired vehicles. The keys are there, readily accessible."

That's why police are offering one last reminder, especially with the holiday season in full swing.

"Don't leave your keys in the vehicle. Lock your vehicle and hide any valuables," he said. "Put them in the trunk and lock the trunk. Make sure your vehicle is secure and you will minimize the chance of being a victim of crime."

Plummer has an extensive criminal history. Court documents show he was just released from prison in September, where he was serving a five-yearsentence for auto-theft charges.