Two teens are in custody in connection with an overnight rash of car thefts or attempted thefts that prompted a warning from Birmingham police.
Additionally, he said, at least five other vehicles were damaged during attempted thefts.
At 11:30 a.m., East Precinct officers recovered the stolen Hyundai Elantra in the 8200 Block of 5th Avenue South. Officers took a 15-year-old male and 14-year-old male into custody who fled from the vehicle.
After recovering the stolen vehicle, Fitzgerald said, officers were able to link stolen property inside the vehicle to at least one early morning car break-in that occurred in the South Eastlake neighborhood.
Both males were interviewed by a Crime Against Property detective.
Both males were taken to the Jefferson County Youth Detention Center and petitions were filed on both males.
The 15-year-old is charged with first-degree receiving stolen property and unlawful breaking and entering into a vehicle.
The 14-year-old is charged with unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle.
The investigation is ongoing.
At this time in 2023, there had been 359 thefts reported of those two types of vehicles for the year in Birmingham.
That included 236 stolen Hyundai vehicles and 123 Kia Motors vehicles.
Fitzgerald offered these tips:
– Invest in a steering wheel anti-theft lock.
– Park in the garage (if available)
– Face home cameras towards vehicles.
– Never confront a would-be car thief.
