Car tire thieves hit three Sonoma County cities
PETALUMA, Calif. - Police in three Sonoma County cities are trying to get to the bottom of a rash of car tire thefts. Over the last week, vehicle owners in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, and Petaluma have reported their cars stripped down to the rims.
"It’s kind of surprising, because I feel like it’s not an area where that would happen," said Lilly Downs, who lives in The Artisan, which is among several apartment complexes on the eastern side of Petaluma that have been targeted by tire thieves. Over Sunday and Monday, Petaluma police say at least 10 car owners in the city woke up to find their cars propped up on cinder blocks.
"It’s really sad, because there’s a lot of hard-working people here, and we don’t expect those things to happen. We expect security from where we live," said Jennifer Figueroa, a resident of The Grove, which was also hit by tire thieves. "Honestly, there’s not much we can do, just you know report to the police everything we see, hear."
Just up Highway 101 in Rohnert Park, police say they’ve been fielding nearly identical calls. Toyota Camrys and Corollas, as well as Honda Civics and Accords, were all reported stripped of their tires between Sunday and Wednesday. In Santa Rosa, police reported a similar crime pattern at apartment complexes on the west side of town.
"They have this place lit at night, so I’m surprised that it’s even an issue, and they also have security patrol at night, supposedly," said Downs, who owns a Honda. "It definitely makes you think though, and makes you want to keep an extra eye out."
Police are asking anyone with information, surveillance video, or photos of the crimes to reach out. They're also advising car owners to park in well-lit areas and to consider purchasing motion activated lights or cameras.
Wheel locks are also available at most car accessory retailers, which can act as a deterrent against tire theft.
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