Albany Park residents say tires, rims stolen off cars overnight

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Residents in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood say they are waking up to find their cars on cinder blocks with their tires and rims stolen.

When you park on the street you're assuming some risk for a break-in, but some of these crimes are happening in driveways right in front of victims' homes.

Faisal Patel:"The tires been stolen, that's it!"

ABC7's Laura Thoren: "And you think they are professionals?"

Faisal Patel: "Yes, they are."

Faisal Patel woke up Monday morning to find his 2014 Toyota Corolla useless, sitting on concrete blocks with four of its alloy wheels missing - stolen by thieves overnight.

"New cars I'm seeing tires gone! One of my buddies, he just fixed his tires. They were stolen too!" Faisal Patel said.

His friend, Javed Patel, said a few days ago thieves stole the tires off his 2016 Camry in front of his home in the 5400-block of N. Spaulding. Another car was also targeted a few blocks away.

The victims want other drivers to know this is happening, and they want something to be done.

"We need more police patrolling every night, that's what we need," Javed Patel said.

For now, he and Patel are taking matters into their own hands by scrolling through websites trying to find their stolen tires posted somewhere. What they've realized is the crime is lucrative: each wheel can go for $400 or more.

"These are the outside market, less expensive ones," Javed Patel said.

These cost him $1,500, compared to the $4,000 custom rims and tires the thieves took. But he says he's downgrading so he's less of a target.

The alderman's office for this ward says they are aware of at least one of the thefts and they are in touch with police. They will get back to us with a response on Tuesday.