Pro thieves stealing BMW headlights, air bags
11-20-09, 01:02 AM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Pro thieves stealing BMW headlights, air bags
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_13816167?source=rss
Professional burglars working in the Westside and Mid-Wilshire areas have targeted more than 50 BMWs in recent months, getting away with expensive auto parts but leaving behind cellphones and laptop computers, it was reported today.
The Los Angeles Police Department says air bags costing thousands of dollars to replace and high-end headlights are being carefully removed from BMW 3 Series and 5 Series models, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Detective Mike Smith, an auto burglary expert, told The Times that the LAPD's Wilshire Division has seen "close to 40 of these crimes" since April and the West Los Angeles Division has seen 14.
"We believe this thief or thieves are getting into these vehicles in record time," he told the newspaper.
The air bag has replaced the radio, wheel rims and other fittings as auto burglars' favorite item to steal, according to The Time. They are portable, relatively easy to steal and a hot item on the black market.
More than 10 percent of all automobile theft
involve air bags, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research group funded by insurance companies, The Times reported.
The black market for such safety devices has soared in recent years, with criminals getting hundreds of dollars for an air bag that would cost customers about $1,500 to replace. The National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates at least 50,000 air bags are stolen annually, according to The Times.
"They leave behind valuable stuff that is sitting in the car," Smith told the newspaper.
He said anyone with information about the burglaries can contact the Wilshire station at (213) 473-0476.
Professional burglars working in the Westside and Mid-Wilshire areas have targeted more than 50 BMWs in recent months, getting away with expensive auto parts but leaving behind cellphones and laptop computers, it was reported today.
The Los Angeles Police Department says air bags costing thousands of dollars to replace and high-end headlights are being carefully removed from BMW 3 Series and 5 Series models, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Detective Mike Smith, an auto burglary expert, told The Times that the LAPD's Wilshire Division has seen "close to 40 of these crimes" since April and the West Los Angeles Division has seen 14.
"We believe this thief or thieves are getting into these vehicles in record time," he told the newspaper.
The air bag has replaced the radio, wheel rims and other fittings as auto burglars' favorite item to steal, according to The Time. They are portable, relatively easy to steal and a hot item on the black market.
More than 10 percent of all automobile theft
involve air bags, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research group funded by insurance companies, The Times reported.
The black market for such safety devices has soared in recent years, with criminals getting hundreds of dollars for an air bag that would cost customers about $1,500 to replace. The National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates at least 50,000 air bags are stolen annually, according to The Times.
"They leave behind valuable stuff that is sitting in the car," Smith told the newspaper.
He said anyone with information about the burglaries can contact the Wilshire station at (213) 473-0476.
11-20-09, 09:58 AM
#2
I saw this on the news this week, seems BMW is targeted because they have inside info on how to enter BMW's.
For a couple years now thieves have been cutting cataylitic converters off trucks to resell. Home improvement stores are targeted because of all the trucks which they can crawl under with a cordless sawzall & cut off they cats in a few minutes.
For a couple years now thieves have been cutting cataylitic converters off trucks to resell. Home improvement stores are targeted because of all the trucks which they can crawl under with a cordless sawzall & cut off they cats in a few minutes.
11-20-09, 11:05 AM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
dude this has been going on at least sine 2002. I have had 3 friends who had actually been woken up by the sound of some little **** trying to get the headlights out of the car. Only one of them got away with the headlights . The other 2 friends managed to stop it in time but still had damage to te car from the little ****s trying to jack them
11-20-09, 11:59 AM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
Some BMW dealerships in this area get around the theft problem not only by locking up much of their new-car stock behind tall fences at night, but also with attack-trained German Shepards. Those dogs are enough to scare the hell out of people (I had one snarl at me once behind a cage). Of course, that is usually not possible wth privately-owned cars.
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