SAN ANTONIO — A woman had just paid off her car when four suspects broke into the vehicle and drove away, using the car to commit more burglaries.
The San Antonio Police Department said the call came in after 7:10 a.m. on Wednesday off of 410 and Roosevelt Avenue.
The victim spoke to KENS 5, identifying herself as Ryan Valdez. She said that her kids walked out of the apartment complex to where she normally parks, but no vehicle was there. "I thought they were playing around," she said.
After realizing her vehicle was stolen, she began tracking the vehicle using her Ford app, and alerted police. We spoke to SAPD who said they had eyes on the car after she called for help.
According to San Antonio police, there have been 60% more vehicle thefts between January and March of this year (4,292) compared to the same time frame last year (2,697).
Newly released data reveals car thefts as the main contributor to the 3.4% jump in overall property crime in San Antonio.
The four suspects were also involved in other burglaries, using Valdez' car to drive up to other vehicles; another person's car was broken into and one of the suspects stole a truck.
Police were able to find the truck. As for Valdez' vehicle, the suspects crashed it; the airbags deployed and the bumper is destroyed. She told KENS 5 that it's her only way of transportation and she only has liability insurance.
Each suspect was taken into custody.
Law enforcement recently recovered Elyse Fulmer-Echavarria’s Hyundai car, which was stolen from a collision center last week. Previously, the vehicle had been broken into twice at their apartment complex.
“I’ve worked really hard for this car and I signed a six-year plan on it and to be able to pay it off in 2 years was a great thing for me,” Fulmer-Echavarria said.
Police managed to find the vehicle within a five-mile radius from where it was originally stolen. Fulmer-Echavarria said whoever took her car trashed the inside, stole the spare tire and left a bottle of urine in the center console.
Fulmer-Echavarria stressed she’s looking forward to moving out of her apartment and into a home with a garage.
“I don’t want to wake up again to find my car broken into and cause another claim on my insurance when my husband and I already have enough claims,” she said.
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