You head out to work or school in the morning only to have your day ruined when you see your car up on a crude set of blocks — and all four wheels gone.
That’s what a half dozen residents on a Weston apartment complex found Thursday morning.
The thieves targeted Toyota Corollas and one Honda, according to news accounts.
Resident Andrea Becraft warned neighbors in a Facebook post, complete with pictures of the vandalized vehicles.
“Unfortunately, many of my neighbors woke up to this,” she wrote. “They hit my friend’s neighborhood in Pompano last week,” she wrote.
Some neighbors blamed the open security gate at the Weston Place Apartments at 16000 S. Post Road.
“I get so mad because, you know, like this cost me a lot and they don’t want to put up the gate,” victim Corina Cordova told WPLG-Ch. 10.
The thieves apparently worked quickly and left little behind except in one car where its wheels’ lug nuts were found, WSVN-Ch. 7 reported.
Detectives were canvassing residents to see if anyone has surveillance videos that might show the wheel thieves.
There are steps you can take to make wheel thefts more difficult.
Police are advising residents to buy wheel locks that require a key to remove one lug nut on each wheel.
They also suggest parking in well-lit areas and turning your front wheels at an angle when parking to make them more difficult to remove.
Law enforcement agencies have noticed a recent increase in the number of wheel thefts. They say organized groups go from one city to another with hydraulic jacks and air compressors to take the lug nuts off and steal the wheels.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about these thefts to contact Broward County Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 954-493-8477 or online at browardcrimestoppers.org. Tips that lead to an arrest may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
wkroustan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4303 or Twitter @WayneRoustan
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