Rochester, NY – “I mean, if there is no punishment for crime, what stops them from continuing to commit crime? They don't! They're just going to keep doing it. It's crazy. said Joe Defilppo, owner of Redline Transmission.
I hear it almost daily. Another car was stolen in our community. It is clear that car theft is on the rise across the region.
On Tuesday night, police told us that more than a dozen cars had been stolen around Rochester. Investigators said one driver was carjacked.
A total of 38 vehicles were reportedly removed from various auto dealerships in Monroe County this month alone.
"If you're going to steal a car, why steal from a transmission shop?" Deflipo said. It doesn't move once inside.
Deflippo said his business was targeted by thieves for the first time in 43 years.
"I woke up and looked at the camera and there was movement there," Deflipo said. "I turned it on and I could see the kids running here. Then I looked at the cameras outside and they drove away."
Security video caught the suspect after he broke a window, got inside, stole the keys, and then stole the car from the parking lot.
Rochester Police said three cars were stolen overnight from Redline Transmission. One was found abandoned and his other was involved in a collision with another stolen vehicle on Ross Street.
Six more cars were stolen after being burgled overnight at the A-1 Auto Repair on North Goodman Street.
The 10th A man sitting in a car on East Main Street was carjacked, assaulted, and had his vehicle stolen after the suspect was hit with a car as he drove away.
MCSO Deputy Brendan Hurley said, "There are more stolen vehicles this year than last year."
Theft doesn't just happen in cities.
Two weeks ago, Gates Police reported the theft of 17 cars from Hertz Rental Car on Ajax Road.
A week ago, the Monroe County Sheriff's Department reported that five youths, including a 12-year-old, were arrested for stealing a car from Henrietta's Carmacks.
About 287 vehicles have been stolen so far this year, according to Deputy Commissioner Brendan Hurley.
"They are dangerous because they have consequences," Hurley said. "If you are driving a car, if you don't know how to drive and it is a dangerous instrument, you are legally liable. It can kill you. Kill other people or cause serious bodily injury. There is a possibility."
Joe said that this was an interruption and that he had to spend the day cleaning up and making new car keys, but that there was a bigger problem.
"Something is wrong," Deflipo said. "I'm talking to the police and they arrest these guys, release them the next day, then arrest them again and they show up, so there's something wrong with our system. They are also letting them go.
Rochester Police are still investigating to identify suspects and determine if all these incidents are related. At the last check, 2 of the 10 stolen cars were recovered.
The man who was carjacked was taken to Strong Hospital and is safe, police said.