Dallas police say some car thieves are changing their tactics.
Lately, thieves have been bold enough to strip cars on residential streets, police say. And in another twist, they take the vehicles only a few blocks away and then steal just a few things instead of stripping them.
“It’s an interesting concept,” Lt. Mike Black said.
In the past, stolen cars were taken to remote locations known as chop shops and stripped bare.
“They are taking very little from the vehicle with the exception of the wheels and the rear seat -- things they can take very quickly,” Black said.
Julie Day, a Lake Highlands woman, learned she was victim when a police officer came by.
Busy getting her two sons ready for school, she hadn't even noticed her sport utility vehicle was missing from her driveway on Lakemere Drive. It was found less than three blocks away from her house.
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“There was no evidence anyone was here -- no glass," Day said. "It was like nothing had happened."
While the third-row seating and the wheels of Day's SUV can be replaced, the same can't be said of the family's sense of security.
“It’s a little scary someone can come right up to your house and take your car,” she said.
Dallas police said they have stepped up their patrols, especially in the Lake Highlands area, which has been hit particularly hard by car thieves.
