SUMAS, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Police arrested a Bellingham woman accused of stealing a car in Sumas on Monday.

Everson Police say the theft occurred at around 2 p.m., after the car’s owner had briefly left their car running while they went inside a gas station.

The owner had left their phone inside the car and police were able to track it to Nooksack Road.

While they were on their way to retrieve the car, someone called to report a suspicious woman who appeared to be in distress while knocking on doors for help.

A nearby resident told police that the same woman had just driven a vehicle that matched the stolen car’s description into their driveway before abandoning it.

Officers arrested the 34-year-old woman and booked her into the Whatcom County Jail, where she remains without bail.

Police are reminding the public to never leave a vehicle running while unattended, even for just a short amount of time.