Which statement best distinguishes Theft From MV from Theft of MV?

• A. Theft From MV refers to the vehicle itself.
• B. Theft From MV refers to removing equipment from a parked car.
• C. Theft From MV refers to items inside the vehicle; Theft of MV refers to the vehicle.
• D. They are unrelated offenses.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is distinguishing what is being stolen. Theft from a motor vehicle refers to items taken from inside the car, while theft of a motor vehicle means the car itself is stolen. This makes the vehicle the target in auto theft, and the belongings inside the car the target in theft from a motor vehicle.

So, the best statement is that Theft From MV involves items inside the vehicle, whereas Theft of MV refers to the vehicle itself. The other options misstate what is being taken or imply no relation between the offenses, which isn’t accurate since they are defined by what is stolen.