HOUSTON – Before heading to work Tuesday morning, C.J. and his wife noticed all four tires on their Honda Accord were missing and their tire locks were on the ground.
“They got in through the glove compartment, they took my wife’s purse out the backseat, got the locks out and were able to take the rims off,” C.J. said.
He continued, “We try to take proper precautions, it has an alarm, it has the locks on the tires but in the end it wasn’t enough.”
C.J.’s wife told KPRC 2 Reporter Corley Peel this has been an ongoing issue at the Woods on LaMonte apartments.
The Houston Police Department said there have been at least a dozen reported auto theft related incidents in the past six months. Another neighbor told Corley his truck was broken into last months.
C.J.’s wife said security has been a concern at the apartments.
“I pay to park here, to live here, and to know that my apartment complex does nothing,” she said.
The security company with the complex said a security officer is at the apartments five days a week. The gates to the apartments are only open during business hours.
Bobby Crowell is a tow truck driver who showed up to tow the family’s car away. He said he tows several cars a week with stolen tires. This isn’t the first time he’s seen wheels off a car at the apartments.
“I have for a Camaro, over a year ago,” Crowell said.
He said he has noticed an uptick in tire theft, towing five to 12 cars with stolen tires a week on average.
“Since they have made it harder to turn in the catalytic converters that are being stolen, wheel theft has been back up on the rise,” Crowell said.
Crowell said wheel locks can help, but keep the key hidden and stay alert.
“Try to park in a well-lit area, check your surroundings, (and) get in touch with your neighbors,” Crowell said.
C.J. said officers told him his Honda Accord is a popular car for tire theft.
“They said this is real popular with Honda’s right now. So, if you do have a Honda, you probably want to be on higher alert than anyone else,” C.J. said.
According to C.J., he works for a moving company that has offered to replace his tires and broken window. He and his wife plan to move from the apartment complex.
Employees with the Woods on LaMonte told KPRC 2 they did not have a comment regarding the recent thefts on the property.