margate, florida – Broward County crooks steal car wheels from unsuspecting owners and leave cars on bricks.
Gail Saltzman was one of the victims.
She found a Honda Accord on a concrete block in the parking lot of her home in the Palm Lakes community of Margate.
She said she didn't realize it until she got home with her dog, Dallas.
"What the hell is the concrete under my car doing?" she said.
All four tires and wheels are gone.
"It's horrible. My car had no tires and the tow truck never came," Saltzman said.
The tow truck driver, Stephen Johnson, came to the rescue. He said the trend of wheel theft resurfaced after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is becoming very common now," Johnson said.
Johnson said he saw four examples last week in Tamarac, Margate and Sunrise.
On Monday, Margate Police said another four victims had reported the same crime. They believe the criminals are targeting Toyota and Honda with their upgraded wheel package.
Residents of the Palm Lakes community hoped the scammers would show up on one of the myriad of home surveillance cameras that dot their neighbourhood.
Anyone with information about the theft should call Margate Police.