Auto thefts and burglaries have historically been among the most frequently occurring crimes in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Division, and with the beginning of the new year, investigators want motorists to take steps to prevent thefts.

The parking lots at Pan Pacific Park have been plagued by auto thefts in recent months. Detectives said they are trying to prevent the crimes from occurring at the park. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Det. Carmine Sasso, with the Wilshire Division Auto Theft Unit, said police continue to see thefts and burglaries occurring because cars are left unlocked or personal property is left in plain sight. Sasso said 459 vehicles were stolen in the Wilshire Division in 2013, and more than 3,760 property crimes were reported. He said many of the incidents occur in large parking lots at shopping malls and other busy places, such as the lots at Pan Pacific Park.

“Pan Pacific Park is a hot area,” Sasso said. “There is a lot of activity going on there. We are trying to address those issues. There are also a lot of areas in the northwest part of the division like the side streets around Melrose Avenue and other major streets that are frequented [by auto burglars and thieves]. I don’t like to single anyone out, but parking lots and parking facilities are places people enter looking to take something.”

Sasso said auto theft and burglary suspects sometimes loiter in parking lots or neighborhoods, and will often talk on a cell phone or pose as someone waiting for a ride while looking for prospective vehicles to target. He encouraged motorists to notify security or the police if they observe something suspicious.

Patrol officers from the division have also been instructed to keep their eyes on local parking lots and residential streets where the vehicle crimes often occur. The detective added that some simple steps can lessen the likelihood of becoming a victim, such as locking all valuables out of view in the trunk, not leaving phone chargers plugged in or leaving spare change in the console.

“People see the spare change or a charger and think there may be something else of value inside, so they break the window,” Sasso said. “Don’t make your car an extension of your closet in your house. You see the list of things people keep in their cars, and it’s baffling. Also when you’re shopping, don’t place bags in the car and continue to go shopping, because it attracts the car burglar.”

Sasso said he has experienced a couple of cases in which the motorist left their keys in the car, and the vehicle was stolen or burglarized.

“They say, ‘It’s a good neighborhood, so I felt safe,’ or ‘I left the car unlocked because I didn’t want the window to get smashed’,” he said. “I had a guy who had a recent model Audi, and he parked near 3rd and Gardner and went for a run at eight o’clock in the morning. He didn’t want to take the key with him, so he placed the key on the top of the passenger side tire. He came back, and his laptop was gone. Always take your keys with you.”

Sasso said thieves often look for specific vehicles to steal. Of the 459 vehicles stolen in 2013, approximately 50 percent were 1990s to early 2000s Toyota Camrys and Corollas, and Honda Accords and Civics. The vehicles are easy to break into, and they are in high demand because the parts are interchangeable, he said. Lately, thieves have been purchasing fake dealer paper license plates at swap meets and other locations, and will then place them on the stolen vehicles to throw the police off their trail.

“Having dealer plates gives us probable cause to stop the vehicle, so it’s a dead giveaway when we see one of those,” Sasso said. “There have been cases where a patrol officer stops a vehicle because of a paper plate, and determines the vehicle has been stolen. Sometimes they are unreported stolen [vehicles]. The officers look for signs. Sometimes the ignition has been tampered with.”

He said motorcycle thefts have also been a concern lately, specifically sport bike models such as Ducati, Suzuki and others. Thieves often drive around in vans looking for motorcycles, pull up and load them inside, and drive away. Sasso cautioned riders not to leave motorcycles parked in the same place for extended periods of time.

High–end vehicles such as Mercedes Benz models, BMWs and Audis have been targeted for parts and accessories. Mirrors, headlight assemblies and air bags are all commonly stolen because they are interchangeable with other vehicles of the same model, and can be easily sold.

Sasso said thieves target SUVs such as Chevrolet Suburbans, from which they steal the detachable third-row seats, and 1990s Toyota pickups, which are a target for their catalytic converters. The detective said the converters contain metals such as platinum that are valuable when sold for scrap.

Sasso added that officers routinely conduct random visits to auto body shops in the Wilshire area to determine if they are dealing in stolen parts. He said “chop shops” have not been a problem in the area recently, but added that some might exist and operate under the radar.

Work vans in the Wilshire Division have been hit recently, specifically south of Pico Boulevard and north of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway between Arlington Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard. Tradesmen such as painters, plumbers and gardeners park their vehicles outside their residences at night, and then return in the morning to find them missing. Sasso said one of the vans that was stolen was recovered empty a short time later in a neighborhood south of downtown Los Angeles.

“The equipment is being fenced off at various locations, and it ends up at swap meets,” Sasso said. “The equipment can be sold three or four times before it gets to the swap meet.”

The detective said motorists bear the responsibility for protecting their property, and they can purchase relatively inexpensive items that can prevent thefts. He recommended steering wheel locking devices, alarm systems or ignition kill-switches.

He also advised motorists to park in lighted areas in public places where a lot of people are around.

“Don’t make it easy to become a victim,” Sasso said. “Don’t put yourself in that position.”

Anyone seeking information about auto crimes is encouraged to contact Wilshire Division investigators at (213)473-0556.