Thieves stealing tires, rims from Honda Accords in Northeast Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Thieves are stealing the tires and rims from Honda Accords across Philadelphia at an alarming rate, police say.
On Tuesday, Action News reported on the problem in the Northeast, with at least 60 Hondas targeted in just the last eight or so weeks.
Several viewers from all across the city contacted us with pictures of their Hondas on milk crates after our story aired.
Shohruh Aslamov awoke Tuesday morning to find his brand new 2018 Accord sitting on soda crates.
"I was going to work and I saw that I had no wheels. I was like 'Huh? How come?' I wasn't sure. I was sleepy. I was rubbing my eyes. I couldn't believe it," Aslamov said.
He wasn't alone.
A few miles away at the Victoria Woods Apartments on the 9600 block of Ashton Road, bandits left another brand new Honda Accord sitting on soda crates.
Owner Keisha Wallace says she bought the car less than two months ago.
"Very upsetting," Wallace said. "We work hard for the things that you have and someone with nothing to lose just comes and strips it away."
At the Sherwood Crossing Apartments on the 3400 block of Red Lion Road, yet another brand new Honda was targeted.
Police say in all, 60 Hondas have been targeted in the last two months. The culprits always seem to strike in the middle of the night.
"They'll loosen up the lug nuts, they'll leave and then they'll come back," said Philadelphia Police Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum. "They'll jack your car up and then they'll leave them on soda crates."
Police said this not just happening in the Northeast.
Surveillance footage caught culprits targeting Hondas in Bensalem, Bucks County just a few months back.
The average cost to replace the tires and rims is between $3,000 and $4,000, and that's if your car is not damaged.
Rosenbaum says some victims have been targeted more than once.
"They've been hit three or four times; (the suspects) come back and hit the same car over and over again," Rosenbaum said.
Fortunately, these latest victims were insured, but they still had deductibles to pay and they had to miss work.
"I had to call out of work, I had no way to get to work," said Wallace. "Luckily I have insurance, but I had to go through the whole process of the police coming. It angers me and I'm just hoping that there's a way to prevent this from happening to other people."
Police are urging owners of 2015 to 2018 Hondas to park their vehicles in well-lit areas, preferably near surveillance cameras and, if possible, in a garage.
Police said aftermarket lug nut locks also seem to deter thefts.
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