In the US, criminals steal cars from car washes and even from funerals: police ask Americans to be vigilant

Car thieves attack victims in unexpected places, including car washes and funerals. Police warn drivers to be on the lookout FoxNews.

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"Beware of any suspicious person lingering at your car," the Nassau County Police Department wrote in a Facebook alert.

The NYPD says thieves are hanging around car washes looking for expensive cars. At the end of the wash, the criminals allegedly jump into the car and drive away - and such incidents have been repeatedly played out.

Earlier this month, a masked suspect stepped out of a blue BMW at a Diamond car wash in Mamaroneck, New York, and jumped into a freshly washed BMW X5. The suspect left before the car wash staff knew what had happened.

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The police say that the thieves carefully search the cars.

“The perpetrator's BMW was parked across the street. The thief does not act immediately, he waits for the perfect moment to take possession of the car," Mamaronek Police Department Lieutenant PJ Trujillo said of the incident at the Diamond car wash.

According to local reports this month, another BMW was stolen from a Dip In Car Wash in Mamaroneck, a Mercedes was stolen from a car wash in Manhasset, and an Audi was stolen from a car wash in Oceanside.

The NYPD is advising drivers to use car washes that allow them to stay in the car, or to ask attendants to return the car's key fob after the car has left the car wash.

“You should never lose sight of your vehicle,” said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “Once it's out of the way, make sure the company that does it moves your vehicle out of the way.” Then ask them to turn off the car and give them the keys when they go to dry it. Do not leave the car with the engine running in such a situation.”

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Drivers can also buy an "emergency switch" for their vehicles, which can turn off vehicles from a distance.

This month in Tennessee, criminals used another brazen hijacking method: targeting cars at a veteran's funeral.

“Probably, we were only 30 meters from the place where the cars were parked. We did not hear anything, there were no signs that there were problems, ”said one of the participants in the mourning ceremony.

Family and friends gathered at the Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Bartlett on Feb. 20 to honor 91-year-old former Air Force D'Lane Camp. When the mourners returned to their cars, they found that some of the cars had windows broken and personal items stolen, including one woman's handbag.

“When we got back to our cars, I saw that my window was open. I thought, “Well, I didn’t leave my window open,” the man said.
A similar situation played out in Maryland earlier this month, when mourners left a memorial service for an Army veteran to find several cars in the cemetery had been broken into.

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Cities across the country are reporting an increase in burglaries and carjackings in recent months. In 2021, thieves stole 932 cars nationwide, up 329% from 6 and 2020% from 17, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

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