Airbags stolen from Honda vehicles in Wilkinsburg
WILKINSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- Multiple neighborhoods are seeing a rash of vehicle break-ins, but the thieves aren't stealing anyone's belongings. They're breaking into vehicles to get their hands on one car part that you can't safely drive without.
Police say thieves are busting into cars to snatch the airbags and most of the vehicles are Hondas. KDKA-TV reported on similar thefts happening last year. A car repair shop owner says airbags are easy to steal and it's easy money.
Before work, many car owners in Wilkinsburg discovered smashed windows and their driver's seat covered in glass. No valuables were taken and only one thing was missing: the airbag.
"It's so easy. Guys just go steal them and put them in and they get paid," said Jay Coll, the owner of Premier Auto Body in Carrick.
Wilkinsburg Police Lt. Brandon Rourke said this happened to five vehicles on or near Mifflin Avenue between Sunday and Monday.
All were Hondas. One was getting repaired right on the street. KDKA-TV saw another vehicle with a window missing on Henrietta Street in Regent Square.
We also talked to someone who had this happen to his Hyundai and four other people's vehicles at his apartment building in Monroeville.
Jay Coll, the owner of Premier Auto Body in Carrick, says airbags can be sold for $500 to $1,000. But reputable shops aren't going to buy or use a stolen part.
"I think the airbags are going in these cars that are total losses and they're buying them at the auction and putting them together and they have someone just supplying parts for them," said Coll.
Coll says it's not difficult to snatch the safety device. Hondas can be an easy target because the airbags are held in with clips.
"If you know how to do it, (it takes) 20 seconds, 30 seconds. Some have some bolts in them and some are just pushing them out, just pushing a couple pins and it's releasing," Coll said.
Now these car owners have to get their windows repaired and buy a new airbag, which Coll says isn't always available.
"It might take weeks just to get the part, it could be months depending on how new the car is. So it could just sit there without the airbag in it," said Coll.
The victim in Monroeville said he had $3,000 in damage to his Hyundai. He was able to pay his deductible but it still cost him cash he didn't have.
"Everyone has a deductible. It can be $500, it could be $250, could be $2,500. All these people buying these cars, now you have a claim against it which diminishes the value when they sell it because the car was broken into. It just hurts everybody," Coll said.
KDKA-TV was told the best thing you can do is park your car in a well-lit area. Wilkinsburg police ask anyone with video of the airbag thefts or suspicious activity in the area to give them a call. We're still working to get more information from Pittsburgh and Monroeville police.
