Many San Diego County drivers with a certain brand of wheels are waking up to their ride on cinder blocks, wheels missing and out thousands of dollars.
Between replacing the wheels and damage left behind by the thieves, Marine Sergeant Hayden Fiori is looking at a $10,000 insurance claim.
“I was devastated," Fiori said. "I just bought this truck. I didn’t think owning a [Toyota] Tacoma would be such a target."
Fiori wasn't the only person in the Island Club apartment complex in Oceanside who found their Toyota parked on cinder blocks last Wednesday.
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“Unbelievable, perplexed, surprised and crazy," victim Mark Khath said when describing his experience.
The wheels from Marine Staff Sergeant Khath's Toyota 4Runner, parked a couple hundred yards from Fiori’s truck, were also stolen.
It’s not so much the model of Toyota as it is the TRD rims.
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TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development. They are very popular and come stock with these vehicles. They are so popular that Toyota started using the TRD stamp on several of its models.
“I think it is insane. It's also scary because we also have on-duty security here, and no one saw anything,” Fiori said.
San Diego police say they are investigating several wheel thefts happening in the middle of the night. San Diego police Northeastern Division released the following statement on Thursday afternoon:
“We are aware of an increase in cases of wheel thefts from vehicles, and we are working with other agencies throughout the county and using all of the investigative tools available to us to hold those responsible accountable," Lt. David Bautista said.
According to county crime stats, so far this year, there have been more than 200 car-related theft and vandalism reports.
Jacob Mitchell found his Lexus GX SUV wheels stolen. He says it happened on Mahaila Avenue, under the cover of darkness, on Feb. 26.
The stolen wheels are Toyota brand TRDs. Comparatively, the rims aren’t all that expensive. NBC 7 found some under $200.
“I don’t think they are particularly too special,“ Khath said.
They are popular enough, however, to risk stealing them. Maybe even a second time.
“I love this truck. It makes me want to not have it anymore if this continues to happen," Fiori said.
Detectives with the San Marcos Sheriff's Station are investigating two reports of stolen TRD tires in January of this year. That’s as far back as we could find based on law enforcement agencies that responded to NBC 7's inquiries.
