The city of Antioch is dealing with a huge spike in auto thefts. A total of 42 have taken place in the last seven days -- 22 of those just over the past weekend.
“I feel broken. Honestly, it may sound silly to some but I’m devastated. It’s upsetting.” said Jennifer Grey.
Her quick visit to her Antioch vet last Friday ended up costing her big time. As she was inside picking up her dog, someone stole her cherished Buick Lacrosse, right from the parking lot.
“It took me a second to register what actually happened. I thought, ‘did I park it where I thought I parked it?’” she said.
Grey is far from alone. Antioch police say there’s been a huge increase in auto thefts in the city .
“Over the last week we had 20 vehicle thefts. Over the weekend we had another 22 to bring a total of 42 vehicle thefts over the whole week, seven-day period,” said Price Kendall of the Antioch Police Department.
Police say Kias and Hyundais are the primary targets. They say a social media video has shown the bad guys how easy it is to steal them. Police have stepped up patrols but are short staffed, so they’re trying to get the word out.
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“We’re just trying to make people aware. To set up your vehicles parked in your driveway park them in your garage. Make sure you have a good lighting set up outside and try to be a good neighbor and look out for suspicious people in your neighborhood and try to be alert,” said Kendall.
“I think it’s really crappy that people think it’s OK to take stuff from other people,” said Grey.
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Grey too wants others to be aware. She’s hoping someone will recognize her car and do the right thing.
“It’s a 2017 Buick Lacrosse premium, it's what they called 'blue ice metallic.' It looks white but it’s a beautiful, metallic white. It has butterscotch leather interior with black leather accents,” she said. “I’ve worked very hard to overcome a lot of my life, and that car for me personally was a symbol of how far I’ve come how hard I’ve worked.”
For now, Grey’s steering clear of Antioch.
