Chicago's Lakeview neighbors woke up midweek to a rough sight: a trail of shattered glass and gutted dashboards after thieves tore airbags out of 24 Hondas parked along residential streets, police said. The crew or crews smashed driver-side windows and stripped steering wheels across several blocks, with owners discovering the damage between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Investigators say the pattern matches a broader run of Honda-focused airbag thefts that has been rolling across the city since December.
Blocks Hit In The Neighborhood
The latest break-ins were concentrated on a cluster of Lakeview streets, including the 3400 block of North Paulina and the 1200 block of West Cornelia, mostly during the overnight hours of Feb. 16 and 17. Chicago police have listed additional affected blocks and time frames in community alerts, as reported by CBS Chicago.
A Slice Of A Bigger Citywide Wave
Authorities say the Lakeview hits are just the latest in a citywide surge of airbag thefts that began in December and has already triggered multiple Chicago Police Department community alerts. Reporting from CWBChicago notes that detectives believe several different crews are working the city, hitting neighborhoods from Hyde Park up to the lakefront, usually under the cover of darkness.
Why Airbags Are A Hot Target
Airbag modules are compact, quick to pop out of a steering wheel, and sell for only a few hundred dollars on illicit markets, even though replacing them can cost drivers and dealerships far more. The National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates that roughly 50,000 airbags are stolen across the country every year, and industry reporting shows stolen units often go for a fraction of dealership prices while replacement bills can exceed $1,000, according to the NICB.
What Honda Owners Can Do Right Now
Police are urging Honda owners to park in well-lit, high-visibility areas when possible, save any doorbell or surveillance video, and consider using Club-style steering wheel locks that physically cover the airbag area as a visible deterrent. Chicago police are asking anyone with information to contact Area One Detectives at (312) 747-8384, Area Two Detectives at (312) 747-8273, Area Three Detectives at (312) 744-8263 or Area Five Detectives at (312) 746-7394, or to send an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com and reference #26-CWP-004C, per CBS Chicago.
