OVIEDO, Fla. — Dan Cozart said his daughter's car was found on bricks, and the four rims and tires were gone.
“We woke up Sunday morning to the cops banging on our door asking if we own an Accord,” he said.
The car was parked in the Oviedo on the Park lot. Cozart’s daughter was visiting from the University of South Florida for the weekend.
Cozart said not only did the theft cost them money, but now his family feels uneasy every time they leave their car somewhere.
“My feeling is violated that this happened,” he said.
Police said it only takes a matter of minutes for the thieves to walk off with the rims. Police said the thieves either use a tire iron or an electric socket wrench to pop off all five lug nuts around the car, and then they will then jack up the vehicle before leaving it on landscaping bricks.
“If you are pretty proficient, you can get all four tires and wheels of a car in a matter of just a couple of minutes,” said Lt. Mike Beavers of the Oviedo Police Department.
Channel 9 found out that rim and tire thefts have been happening a lot across Central Florida.
Several car owners fell victim to similar thefts in Waterford Lakes in July.
Beavers said it doesn't appear that the thieves are after one specific make or model, and that rims and tires are in high demand.