Tosa police: stealing vehicles to 'joy ride' is new trend among criminals - Wauwatosa Now
Stealing a car and selling its parts to make an extra buck are a thing of the past, said Lt. Brian Zalewski of the Wauwatosa Police Department. These days "joy riding," or driving around in a stolen vehicle for pure enjoyment, are all the rage, he said. "It's seen as more of a status symbol to be driving around in a stolen vehicle," Zalewski said. Just last week, police recovered a stolen vehicle stripped of all its parts, including the dashboard, hood and doors. A rise in car thefts In general throughout the southeastern region of Wisconsin, the number of carjackings and stolen vehicles has risen in recent weeks, Zalewski said. In Wauwatosa, there are no patterns in the make or model of a vehicle, time of day or neighborhoods in which the incidents happen, he said. In addition, stolen vehicles have been peppered throughout recent Wauwatosa Police Department reports and commonly stolen vehicles have included early models of Dodge Caravans due to their lack of electric ignition identification. Finding stolen vehicles For those who have been victim to a car theft, there's a "fairly high probability" the stolen vehicle will be found and returned to the. Source: www.wauwatosanow.com
