Broward County Sheriff's Office officials are warning residents of thieves targeting car air bags throughout the county.
In the past month alone, more than 70 vehicles have been targeted, officials said Wednesday. There have been 13 car burglaries in Tamarac, nine in Weston and about 50 in Deerfield Beach.
On Monday, BSO says 20 cars were burglarized at the Crystal Lake apartments in Deerfield Beach.
Investigators believe the thieves sell the air bags to unscrupulous body shops, pocketing hundreds of dollars for each one. The body shops then place fraudulent claims to insurance companies for the cost of new air bags.
The thieves have been targeting Honda Civics and Accords and various Acura models. They also target large apartment complexes where they can hit a large amount of cars in a short amount of time.
To avoid the potential of becoming a victim of these car burglaries, police say to:
- Park your vehicle in a well-lit area
- Park as close to foot traffic as possible
- Contact your apartment complex or neighborhood management company to make sure they're aware of this crime trend
- If you spot suspicious activity, contact your local law enforcement agency to report it
Anyone with information about the air bag thefts is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.