A car is stolen in Texas every five and a half minutes. Most are stolen between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. In the past few years Over 90,000 vehicles have been stolen from Texas alone.

 

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NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU 2008 STATS

 

I-Team: Some San Antonio areas prone to car thieves

Joe Conger
KENS 5 Eyewitness News

There's a car stolen in the United States every 25 seconds, and in San Antonio, vehicles are stolen for their parts, to transport illegal drugs, and even for people smuggling across the border.

As the KENS 5 I-Team discovered, there are some places in the city that are more prone to auto theft.

"That's my only transportation, that's all I have," Guadalupe Vega said.

And in seconds, it was gone.

Vega's 30-minute visit to the doctor left her stranded in a Medical Center parking lot, when crooks stole her Lincoln Town Car.

Vega's vehicle is one of 6,000 cars that San Antonio police say will be stolen across the city this year.

It was parked in one of the city's hot zones — the Interstate 10 corridor — where the Medical Center, apartments, hotels and business parking lots make for a buffet for thieves.

"It's like a shopping mall for them, but they're shopping for a car," said Sgt. Troy Torres, with the SAPD's vehicle crimes unit. "They're gonna go down and look, and they're gonna find one they think they can get into fairly easily."

And not just along I-10. The I-Team found several other hot zones, including the Blanco Road-West Avenue area.

"Yeah, I've had it. It's to the point where I'm just gonna get rid of the vehicle, get something different, because it's not worth the hassle," said one theft victim.

That's where he actually videotaped thieves attempting to rip off his Acura Integra.

"Breaking into the vehicle, sawing my steering wheel, taking my club off," he said.

The powerful imports bring top dollar for parts among street racers.

Acuras and Honda Civics top the list for stolen imports. For domestic vehicles, San Antonio thieves love Chevrolet and GMC pickups, followed closely by Dodge pickups and Ford F-series trucks.

"I said, 'Why? Why they pick mine?' (sic) There are newer cars, better cars, prettier cars ... I mean, why did they take this?" Vega wondered.

Given that it's not popular, police said there's a reason crooks went for Vega's old Town Car.

"First and foremost, is criminals are using them to get from one place to another. Kids are going out for joyriding. That's probably 80 percent of the vehicles that are taken," Torres said.

And some are taken — but not for parts or joy-rides. The third hot zone is the South Park Mall.

Despite being on the SAPD's list, mall management says 30 percent of the vehicles reported stolen at the mall were actually repossessed.

Their large lot offers a perfect opportunity for repo men.

"Four-and-a-half million cars come into our parking lot every year, and I think, our report from last year, all of last year, we saw eight stolen vehicles for the whole year," said Cesar Rodriguez, South Park Mall general manager.

So, how fast can a thief steal your car?

 

Jacci's Austin Blog
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Stop Truck Thieves

Texans are known as a pickup truck lovin' bunch. Evidently thieves love 'em too. It seems that certain kinds of trucks, ones like my own F-150 for instance, are favorite targets of thieves who convert them for use in smuggling people across the border. The Austin Police Department's Auto Theft Interdiction Detectives have recovered several stolen trucks lately, including one packed with 11 immigrants. The bigger Ford and Dodge trucks seem to be a prime target. Although any vehicle is a potential stolen vehicle, APD recently issued a press release alerting Austin's truck owners to the increased threat to their pickups.
They've issued the usual reminders about not leaving your keys in the ignition, locking up (yes, even in your own driveway or garage), and installing theft protection devices. And for those new to the state, a reminder that it is "against the law in Texas to leave your keys in the ignition or your vehicle engine running. If convicted, you can be fined up to $200." Ouch!

Texas Auto Theft Number

IRVING, Texas -- The number of Allstate insured vehicles in Texas that were stolen and never found, jumped 11 percent from 2006 to 2007. Texas' second largest auto insurer says a large portion of these un-recovered vehicles were SUVs and trucks -- sending a message to drivers of these popular Texas vehicles that where and how you park your car can be as important as remembering to lock the doors. "The majority of stolen full-size trucks and SUVs are taken into Mexico
and used to transport narcotics and human smuggling. After that, these vehicles are stripped, used for parts or sold to unsuspecting buyers in Mexico and the U.S.," said Officer Steve Plummer with the El Paso County Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Taskforce. "The size, carrying capacity, off- road capability, monetary value and availability of large trucks and SUVs will continue to make these vehicles prime targets for thieves". According to Allstate Insurance Company, there was a 22 percent spike in
un-recovered SUVs and a 17 percent increase in un-recovered trucks last year in the Lone Star State. Ford F-250 and 350 pick-ups are the most common type of un-recovered truck or SUV. The Acura Integra was the most common type of
un-recovered, non-truck luxury vehicle. The overall number of stolen Allstate-insured vehicles, both recovered and
un-recovered in Texas, increased 1.2 percent from 2006 to 2007 with 4,188 auto theft claims filed statewide last year -- costing more than $34 million. "Texas has the second highest auto theft rate in the country," said Dena
Kudlac, a Dallas Ft. Worth area Allstate Insurance Company Exclusive Agent. "Auto theft is one of the most expensive crimes Texans face annually; representing millions of dollars for consumers." It can take a thief less than 10 seconds to break into a car. A team of skilled "strippers" using no power-tools can tear apart a car or truck in just six minutes, leaving an empty shell on blocks. The auto safety experts at Allstate have six tips to not tempt thieves... Choose your spot carefully: Park in a populated, well-lit area where you are able to periodically check on the vehicle. Don't tempt thieves: Put all valuables in your trunk out of plain sight. If you have an expensive car stereo, make sure you are able to detach the stereo face and bring it with you. Remember to lock-up: The cheapest form of defense is common sense: Lock your car, roll up your windows and take your keys. Get Visible: A steering wheel lock that fits across the wheel or an alarm system visible through the windshield suggests "this one is going to take to take longer" and a thief will look elsewhere.