PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. (WSVN) - Residents of a Pembroke Pines neighborhood are hoping the tire thieves who targeted their vehicles overnight are caught, as authorities determine whether there’s a connection to a similar stealing spree in Miami-Dade County.
Surveillance video captured the subjects as they stripped a Honda Accord of its rims and tires off Southwest 90th Avenue, early Monday morning. The view from the camera was partially blocked, but the footage captured two thieves wheeling one of the tires into a white Range Rover and taking off.
Another surveillance camera showed the subjects’ getaway vehicle leaving the area.
The car’s owner, Ashraq Akram, was in for a rude awakening.
“When I get out of the house, I see that, all of a sudden, there’s no tires,” he said. “The first thing I did, I called the police.”
Akram said he came home Sunday night, parked his 2018 cherry red Honda Accord and went to bed.
He woke up to find the brand-new car stuck on blocks in the driveway. All of the sedan’s tires and rims were gone.
“I was shocked because it was so sudden,” he said. “You’re not expecting those things all of a sudden to happen, you know?”
Police officers came, filed a report and left.
7News tracked down four other cars nearby that were also stripped of their tires and placed on blocks, overnight Monday.
Another newer model Accord was also targeted at the Pine Lakes condos near Northwest 92nd Avenue and First Street.
Akram said a full set of rims and tires will set him back $3,200, adding that his insurance won’t cover it.
The tire thefts come days after similar incidents in Northwest and Southwest Miami-Dade. 7News cameras captured several Hondas with no tires that were put on cinder blocks.
However, investigators have not confirmed whether there’s a connection to the Broward thefts.
Residents in Miami-Dade told 7News they’re frustrated.
“It’s not just me. My neighbors are very bothered because it keeps happening,” said Jennifer Paredes speaking through a translator.
As for Akram, the theft poses a challenge for his commute to work. His business is in Fort Lauderdale.
“Now that my car is there, I can’t go to work,” he said. “Everything is just stuck, you know?”
If you have any information on any of these thefts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.
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