A homeowner in Connecticut was caught on camera trying to stop a would-be thief from stealing his car in broad daylight.
Soon, three more suspects arrived, beating the owner until someone alerted them they're calling the police.
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In Washington, D.C. vehicles thefts are up more than 100% since last year. In Chicago, CPD data showed a 135% increase.
"What we see these days, are motor vehicle thefts that occurred facilitate the commission of another crime," said Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
On Thursday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined other states in a push to issue recalls on Kia and Hyundai cars that don't have anti-theft controls.