JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There is a new warning about a crime that's leaving people with a big inconvenience.
Channel 4 spoke with a woman Friday night who was leaving a friend's home and found her truck completely stripped. The crooks made off with all four of her tires and her rims.
"I can't believe someone could do that," said Samantha.
Samantha didn't want her full identity revealed, but she wanted to tell her story so that people are aware of the crime.
Samantha said she found her Chevy Silverado propped up on four blocks of concrete when she left her friend's place at Cape House Apartments in Jacksonville on Wednesday.
"Anywhere you go stuff is going to happen, but I feel like this could have been prevented," said Samantha.
Samantha said that the apartment complex's access gate at the entrance was not working while she was there. She said whoever stole her tires was taking advantage of the open gate.
After she called police, Samantha said another neighbor told her a similar crime happened to them.
"She says, 'I can't believe they did this to you too,'" said Samantha. "This cost me well over $4,000 to get everything replaced and I'm a college student. I don't have money for that."
The property manager at Cape House Apartments sent Channel 4 this statement about the situation:
"We are trying to obtain all the facts regarding the circumstances and we will work very closely with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office."
--Lisa Clark, Regional Manager, Olympus Properties
Channel 4's Safety Expert and Crime Analyst, Ken Jefferson, offered these tips to people who may find themselves in Samantha's situation:
- Use locks and lug nuts for your rims
- Park close to where you live
- Have your windows cracked just to listen for any strange noises
- Keep an eye out for suspicious people
- Get comprehensive insurance coverage
A woman who was leaving a friend's home says she found her truck completely stripped. The crooks made off with all four of her tires and her rims.