Brazen Tire Thieves Caught On Camera In Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Many Queens residents have been waking up to find their cars up on cinder blocks lately, but now one woman has caught the alleged thieves on camera.
As CBS 2's Steve Langford reported, Nakema Hennighan recently found her new Honda Accord up on cinder blocks outside her home.
"No one's ever been able to catch these guys but I got them on tape," Hennighan said.
Hennighan's home surveillance video just managed to capture the crooks carrying out their pit stop plundering in the middle of an early morning snowstorm.
"My tires, my rims were gone."
There have been hot wheels heists all over eastern Queens lately, Langford reported.
"We've had about nine wheel thefts here mostly Hondas, Infinitis, newer models," said Robert Friedrich, of Glen Oaks Billage Co-Op.
Nine in and around the Glen Oaks area since the beginning of the year, Langford reported.
Police say residents there are not alone either.
An uptick has been noticed in neighborhoods all across eastern Queens.
All these thefts are leading to costly insurance claims.
"These wheels are very expensive. These late-model cars they can run, $5-, $6-, $8,000," Friedrich said.
The tire and wheel theft ring has been brazenly carrying out the crimes apparently unconcerned with getting noticed.
The 105th Precinct has assigned extra patrols on nights and overnights to try to crack down on this wheel theft spree, Langford said.
After getting new wheels and tires put back on her car, Hennighan's already adding to her video defense system.
"We're actually getting more cameras, more lights put on the house. We're going to catch them," she said.
Authorities are suggesting residents use wheel locks as a deterrent against thieves.
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