In an incident where a vehicular theft took in wilder turn, Neusha Alexandra Afkami, 27, reportedly stole an Uber driver's car on her way to the very same airport because she felt the driver was going "too slow." Fox 7 Austin detailed how Afkami threw the driver's phone out of the window, forced the Uber driver to retrieve it, and then seized the opportunity to quickly take control of the vehicle, driving it to the airport herself.
Afkami, after leading the police on an unexpected chase, was nabbed before she could catch a flight. She had also stolen the Uber driver's wallet and enjoyed a brief shopping spree totaling almost $130 with the purloined credit card, according to the affidavit obtained by Fox 7 Austin. This brazen act was to soon put her in handcuffs, facing charges for the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and credit card abuse. She has been booked into the Travis County Jail on a $16,000 bond.
The increase in car thefts at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) this year is swiftly turning into an epidemic, with rates nearly doubling the previous high in 2022. KXAN reports that, based on data from the Austin Police Department, 74 vehicles have been reported stolen in just the first eight months of 2023, compared to 41 in the entire year of 2022. Despite increased passenger traffic exceeding 1.1 million, less than 100 thefts have occurred. Victims like Josh Teeters lament their losses, with Teeters recounting to KXAN how his 2021 Dodge Ram TRX was filched from the parking lot while he was away: "You shouldn’t have to be concerned that your vehicle is going to be stolen when you’re on a trip."
Teeters is still dealing with the aftermath as he waits for his truck to be fully repaired, despite insurance covering $20,000 worth of damage. Following his ordeal, Teeters candidly advised against parking at the airport, telling KXAN, "Currently I’d say don’t park at the airport, knowing what I now know."
As for ABIA Parking, the contracted company in charge of monitoring the airport’s lots, they vow for ongoing vigilance and encourage reporting of any suspicious activity or crimes. A spokesperson for the airport noted the difficulty in expecting ABIA Parking to watch over every vehicle at all times while stressing that APD staffs the airport 24/7 with surveillance cameras at the ready.
