Residents of a North Side San Antonio apartment complex are on high alert after a string of wheel thefts — even as surveillance cameras catch the alleged thieves in the act. At the gated Escalante complex, a vehicle was discovered on cinder blocks once more, a sight that has become disturbingly familiar to the locals.
One resident, who had their wheels stolen late last month, chose to remain anonymous when reporting to KENS 5, said, "I've actually gotten to know and become friends with our neighbors because of this." Another resident's surveillance captured the petty criminals pilfering tires at the back of the complex, where most of the incidents occurred.
The owner of a recently targeted RAV4 expressed their shock to KENS 5, stating, "Nothing really special about the vehicle, the wheels or the tires." Despite the lack of allure typically associated with high-end cars sought after by thieves, this individual, who also asked to remain unnamed, faced an unexpected $1,700 expense to cover the cost of wheels, tires, and a tire pressure monitor after the incident.
Caught on camera at 2:18 a.m., one person can be seen removing the tires from a neighbor's Mazda — an uncommon target for such thefts. "Until we got the camera footage that I submitted, no one had any idea who it was, how it was happening, their M.O., when they came or anything like that," the owner of the Mazda, who spoke under condition of anonymity, told KENS 5. The footage reveals a less-than-professional operation, with the thieves appearing furtive and hesitant, a departure from the typically quick and organized wheel thefts that are more common.
Following the thefts, San Antonio Police are encouraging citizens to talk to their property managers about security enhancements and to purchase wheel locks to deter thieves. This advice comes after spiking crime rates at the complex, with six reported stolen vehicles and 11 other thefts in the last year alone. One distraught resident said in an interview arranged under the condition of anonymity, to KENS 5, "This one has had issues in the recent past where the gates will be ajar or open and sometimes they'll capitalize on that."
The sense of shock and betrayal was echoed by neighbors as they contemplated leaving the compromised sanctuary of their gated community. "The best measure we'd hope to take is leave this area," confessed one interviewee to KENS 5. "I don't think we'd have a chance to improve what's already broken here." Representatives from the Escalante apartments and Willow Bridge, the parent property company, have yet to respond to inquiries from KENS 5 regarding the string of thefts.
