CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are starting to see a new trend in crime. It's a crime of opportunity and one that only takes minutes to execute.
Police asked us to warn you about car batteries being ripped from right under your hood.
Rufus Blackmon is tired of making trips to the auto parts store.
“Well, I had to go buy two new batteries and pray they don’t do it again,” he said.
Thieves stole the battery right from under the hood of cars parked in his driveway in northeast Charlotte twice. On a third attempt, the car alarm stopped them.
“What they did, they broke this window back here and they opened the back door,” Blackmon says. “Once they get in, they popped the front door then popped the hood.”
Sgt. Ken Schul is handling several cases where batteries were stolen.
“It’s real easy,” he said. “I think the public’s probably not aware that this type of crime is going on.”
In fact, police say they've been seeing this more and more in recent months.
“It used to be a copper issue, copper prices have gone down and now recycling plants are seeing an uptick in batteries being brought to them,” Schul says. “They can make from $20, depending on how large the battery is, to $2 to $3 a battery. You steal five or six a day and you’re making $100.”
That's why they say batteries are disappearing from cars parked at businesses, church parking lots and neighborhoods.
“It’s happening all over the city, were getting complaints from all response areas,” Schul says.
Carolina Tire & Auto says to be vigilant to avoid falling victim to car battery thieves. If you see someone nosing around a neighbor’s car, call 911. They also say that, it’s clear in this case, the alarm managed to scare off the thieves.
No comments:
Post a Comment