SAN ANTONIO – In just the first five months of the year, 2,515 vehicles have been stolen in San Antonio, according to San Antonio police.
Sergeant Carlos Gonzalez, with SAPD’s vehicle crime unit, said that’s an increase of over 12% compared to this time last year.
“You know, it doesn’t matter what kind of vehicle you drive. All vehicles are potential targets of being stolen or burglarized,” said Sgt. Gonzalez.
Police said Texas ranks in the top three states of vehicle thefts happening most often with people leaving either their keys, fobs, and other valuable items inside.
“Many jurisdictions around the state have reported that a major factor in burglary and stolen vehicles are people leaving their keys inside their vehicles and leaving their vehicles unlocked,” said Sgt. Gonzalez.
This is a list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in San Antonio:
- Dodge Ram
- Ford F-250
- Chevy Silverado
- Ford F-350
- Nissan Altima
- Toyota Camry
- Chevy Tahoe
- Toyota Corolla
- Ford F-150
- Honda Civic
Sgt. Gonzalez said if you drive a pick-up truck in San Antonio your chances of becoming a victim are slightly higher. Full-sized trucks are among the top vehicles stolen.
This weekend, SAPD will provide anyone a free VIN ETCHING service. They will etch the vehicle’s identification number, a unique code used to identify your car, into all of the windows.
Police said the etching makes it harder for crooks to sell parts of your vehicle or sell the vehicle itself.
The event will take place at the H-E-B located on North Loop 1604 near Bandera Road, on Sat. May 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.