WATERBURY, CT — A steady rise in wheel rim thefts across Waterbury has local police urging vehicle owners to take heightened security measures as thieves grow more methodical in their tactics.
Police report multiple rim theft incidents each week, with most cases targeting the Honda Accord Sport models from 2019 to 2024. Authorities say these vehicles are popular among thieves because their tire rims are interchangeable, making them valuable and easily resold.
What once could be deterred by basic wheel locks has evolved into a more invasive threat.
Police now say thieves are breaking into vehicles, searching for and stealing the wheel lock keys often kept in glove compartments.
In Waterbury’s Town Plot neighborhood, one theft resulted in more than $10,000 in damages, according to Wes Stokes, who said his friend’s vehicle was left sitting on the pavement with all four tires and rims missing.
Waterbury police, including Lt. Ryan Bessette, recommend residents remain vigilant and look out for one another.
Parking in well-lit areas, ensuring security cameras are operational, and storing wheel lock keys in separate locations from the vehicle are among the steps they suggest.
Bessette noted that recent thefts often begin with a broken window and end with full tire removal, facilitated by the stolen wheel lock key.
Some residents, including Rachel Perez, credit alarm systems and floodlights with preventing similar incidents. Perez said her car’s alert system activated during a recent attempt, scaring off would-be thieves.
Experts at Joe’s Tire Shop and Auto Repair in Waterbury underscored the financial burden these thefts place on residents.
Worker Rich DiBenedetto noted that a full wheel and rim replacement could cost between $800 and $2,500. He added that many newer cars come equipped with wheel locks, but for those that don’t, adding them may deter theft.
“If you slow them down,” DiBenedetto said, “chances are maybe they’ll move to the next one.”
Police confirmed that rim theft is charged as larceny and continue to investigate the pattern as part of a broader vehicle-related crime uptick.
