WASHINGTON — It’s been a problem across the area and the thieves seem to be unstoppable. These bandits have been stealing thousands of dollars in wheels and tires from vehicles.
And they especially like targeting the Horner Road commuter lot in Woodbridge, Virginia, over and over and over again.
Now, residents in Woodbridge fear the thieves have gone into the neighborhood.
Ryan Morgan, a Marine officer, said he parked his Chevy Tahoe in his driveway only about four feet from the garage door. It was around 9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 14. He lives in the Hope Hill Crossing development in Woodbridge by Spriggs and Minnieville roads.
As he was about to head to work on Monday morning, he found his truck up on bricks. “I was in shock,” he said. “That, that could happen so close to our home and so recent to another occurrence.” The thieves hit the same development about a week earlier on Aug. 5.
“I was floored,” he said “because it’s a nice neighborhood.” They stripped all four wheels and tires from his SUV. He says it will cost about $3,000 to replace them. And he said he didn’t even hear a thing.
He believes this was the work of professionals, as the thieves didn’t even leave any fingerprints behind. “They had a system. They didn’t disturb anything. I don’t know how they went about doing it, but they weren’t on our property very long,” he said. Morgan said his Tahoe was locked and that the alarm did not even go off.
The thieves appeared to be focused only on the wheels and tires because in his driveway was an unlocked Mercedes-Benz SUV with golf clubs inside, which were not taken.
And Morgan said that his neighbor’s garage door was left open. “And they had a lot of goodies in their garage and nobody went in there,” he said.
Morgan was taken back by how brazen the thieves were. His house is not tucked away in a corner, but rather, out in the open. It is the first house you see as you enter the complex. “So, that was surprising that they actually had that much nerve and they had that much confidence they could do that without getting caught,” he said.
Morgan wants his story out there so more people become aware the that this is happening. “Hopefully these bandits that are going through and robbing people and making people feel unsafe that they are brought to light and brought to justice eventually,” he said, which is a hard task since the bandits work under the cover of darkness while their victims are asleep.
Anyone with information about this incident or any others should contact Prince William County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-8477 or texting “PWC” plus the information to 274637.
