More than 100 tire and rim thefts have been reported in Nassau County in recent months and county police are now urging residents to be vigilant of their cars, police say.
The tire and rim thieves typically target Mercedes, Honda and Toyota vehicles and the thefts usually occur overnight – between midnight and 4 a.m. -- especially on stormy nights, to mask the sound of the thefts, police said.
Sometimes the thieves loosen the lug nuts earlier in the evening, then return to take the tires. And they work quickly.
"Think about a NASCAR race -- usually within 30 seconds, all the tires are off and the new tires are on. Very, very fast," said Nassau Police Det. Lt. Richard LeBrun.
Charlton Welch said his daughter's Mercedes was targeted in their Valley Stream driveway last week.
"She didn't even realize there was anything wrong," he said. "She got in, started it up and realized it wasn't moving."
All 117 thefts have been in the last five months. There have been 26 thefts since Jan. 1 in Valley Stream and Elmont.
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Nassau County police now urge car owners to keep their vehicles in well-lit driveways or purchase security devices. They say patrols are being intensified and it's just a matter of time before the crooks are caught.
