“Living in the city you get use to the occasional smashed windshield,” Paul Vanouse told 7 Eyewitness News.
But this latest act was a bit different.
“It’s like having somebody steal the shoes off your feet.”
All four wheels – both the tires and rims -- were stolen from his Honda Fi,t which was parked right in his driveway on Richmond Avenue.
It was Tuesday, which was ironically "Bike your Child to School Day." After riding his son to school on two wheels he returned home to realize... he didn’t have any.
Vanouse believes the crooks, who were kind enough to leave the car propped on cinder blocks, struck between 3 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.
Aside from feeling violated, Vanouse says he’s simply confused why his modest car was targeted.
“There must be a call for the wheels somewhere,” Jeremy Schraufstetter, mechanic at Joe’s Service Center told 7 Eyewitness News.
He says Vanouse’s story isn’t that uncommon.
“There was probably 10-12 that happened last year and I guess we’re starting again."
A simple Google search of Honda Fit tire thefts turns up dozens of pictures all looking like Vanouse’s. Cars.com cites the 15-inch alloy rims seem to be a hot ticket item in several cities, including DC and Chicago. The trade site says the Honda Fit wheels also fit the popular low-riding Honda Civic model and can be resold for hundreds of dollars in illegal markets.
Schraufstetter says investing in a set of locking lugs for $40-50 will stop thieves from stealing your wheels.
