Honda owners in Sacramento beware

Sacramento Honda owners should be on alert after a team of car thieves broke into a least half a dozen vehicles overnight.

Just after midnight, a Sacramento police officer responded to the 6600 block of Stockton Boulevard to take a stolen vehicle report. At nearly the same time, another officer found the car, a black Honda Accord, nearby with the engine running. The suspects had already fled the scene.

Then, around 4 a.m., another Honda owner had his car stolen from the driveway of his home. He was just able to see it driving towards Stockton Boulevard as the thieves made their escape. The stolen car was a white Honda Accord.

A half-hour later, another victim nearby heard a noise, looked out the window, and saw his car being stolen, only to be driven away towards Elder Creek Road. His car; a gold Honda Accord.

Lastly, just after five a.m., another would-be victim interrupted two suspects as they tried to steal his car. He also found his neighbor’s car in the middle of the road, possibly as a result of the thieves unsuccessfully trying to steal it as well. The suspects fled in a white Honda Civic.

Honda’s are notoriously easy to steal; with little more than a screwdriver or a shaved key most can be driven away in seconds.  My own mother had her Honda Civic stolen late last year, only to be found about a week later with little damage.  While there is little one can do to stop a highly motivated car thief, there are simple steps you can take to make sure you’re not the next victim.

• Park inside a garage if you can. Thieves can’t steal what they can’t get into.
• Don’t leave valuables in your car. Backpacks, boxes, visible stereo equipment, and purses are sometimes the real target of car thieves; your car is just the getaway ride.
• Get a Car Club or some other added theft protection AND USE IT. Most thieves are looking for the easy score, and won’t bother with the extra time and trouble of removing a Car Club. More likely, they’ll move down the road to an easier score.
• Save the SacPD emergency number in your cell phone. If you dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone, that call is going to the CHP. By dialing the SacPD emergency number, you’re getting directly to the department that is going to respond to your call. The number is 916-732-0100 for emergencies, 916-264-5471 for non-emergencies.

Source: SacPD.org

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