Police on Long Island are looking for the thieves who have been stealing wheels off of new Mercedes Benz cars recently.
Thieves have struck 26 times since November, according to the Nassau County Police Department. The tires have been stolen from several locations, including car dealerships, throughout the county.
The thieves work quickly -- in one case at a Mercedes dealership, they were able to take off the wheels and run off with them as security was patrolling the lot. That business was hit six times in the last year.
"If you watch NASCAR, it's like a pit crew," said Nassau Police Detective Vincent Garcia. "Five, 10 minutes, they can have all four tires up on a car."
Police say that all the wheels were stolen from 2014 and 2015 Mercedes vehicles. It’s not clear if the thieves targeted specific models, but Mercedes tires and rims can cost as much as $4,000 each, and police say there's no way to identify stolen tires.
Most of the thefts have happened before dawn in neighborhoods stretching from Manhasset Hills to Farmingdale.
One Mercedes owner named Joanne said thieves have struck on her Massapequa street. Now she's watching her car closely.
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"You take your precautions," she said. "We have the lights on overnight and we have locking lug nuts."
Police are asking drivers to park in well-lit area or in driveways with motion-detecting floodlights. They say that wheel locks should be used if possible to deter potential thefts. About $100 each, a wheel lock is installed in place of a normal wheel lug nut, and thieves are unable to get the tire off the car in quick fashion.
