You don’t have to drive one of the most likely vehicles to get stolen to become a target for thieves. An alleged auto part theft ring targeted everyday rides across nearly every NYPD precinct in the Bronx and beyond, according to Spectrum News NY1. The NYPD and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office announced that 16 people have been arrested in connection with this well-organized operation. From CBS News:
“Like a race car pit crew in the dead of night. When I saw some of [the surveillance video footage], it’s like you’re looking at the ‘F1’ movie,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said.
Rather than the top-dollar cars of “Gone in 60 Seconds” or the high-end TVs and VCRs of “The Fast and the Furious,” the crew reportedly targeted Honda and Toyota sedans and SUVs. This was not because their wheels are expensive, but because they’re extremely common and in high demand. They were also quite easy to sell in person or on Facebook Marketplace for cash with no questions asked. Naturally, catalytic converters were in the mix, too.
‘Operation Pit Crew’
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said the ring had hit 252 victims across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. The NYPD formed a special unit called Operation Pit Crew to investigate the rash of part thefts, naming it after the highly efficient manner the thieves operated. They allegedly worked in the middle of the night, dressed in black, bringing useful garage tools like impact wrenches to remove lug nuts, floor jacks to lift the cars, and milk crates to leave them on afterward. I’ve never seen milk crates used in an F1 pit stop, but everything else checks out.
Police say the ring sold $1.2 million of parts, while the cost of stolen property and vehicle damage was closer to $2 million. The 16 defendants are alleged to have been connected to the Trinitarios gang, and face a total of 971 indictments, including conspiracy, grand larceny, and auto stripping. Each of them faces eight to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The NYPD recommends using locking lug nuts to make sure your car doesn’t end up sitting on milk crates. “If they see that lug nut, that lock nut, they’ll move on to another car,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CBS News. While there are ways to remove a locking lug nut without the key, thieves typically look for a fast grab and getaway. If your wheels are more difficult to steal, they’ll likely look for an easier target.
