Rash of car wheel thefts expand to Walnut Creek
Rash of car wheel thefts expand to Walnut Creek
Add Walnut Creek to the list of Bay Area communities now being targeted by car wheel thieves. Last week, vehicle owners in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, and Petaluma also reported their vehicles stripped down to their hubs. Similar to the crimes in Sonoma County, police in Walnut Creek say the thieves are striking apartment complexes, mostly at night, and targeting Honda and Toyota models.
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Add Walnut Creek to the list of Bay Area communities now being targeted by car wheel thieves.
Last week, vehicle owners in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, and Petaluma also reported their vehicles stripped down to their hubs. Similar to the crimes in Sonoma County, police in Walnut Creek say the thieves are striking apartment complexes, mostly at night, and targeting Honda and Toyota models.
"My daughter said ‘Mom, why don’t you have any tires’," said one victim, who asked to remain anonymous.
The mother’s car was one of two struck in an apartment complex in Walnut Creek on Walker Avenue.
"I learned that I did not have tire locks, which could have maybe slowed things down," she said.
Car tire thieves hit three Sonoma County cities
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.
Lug locks are now installed on her wheels. Neighbors say an apartment complex next door was also hit by the thieves.
"It really made me scared, because that’s our main way of transportation. Without it, my mom couldn’t get to her job. Without it, I couldn’t get to my job, and so that really made me fear for those who rely on their cars," said Patrick Perucho, a resident at the neighboring apartment complex.
As police continue to investigate the crimes, they're advising car owners to park in well-lit areas and to consider purchasing motion-activated lights or cameras.