Just before 4 a.m. on a recent Monday, Lindsey Cruz and her husband, Carmelo, were startled awake by the roar of the exhaust from their Lamborghini SUV parked outside.
“I said, ‘Oh my gosh, honey, someone’s trying to steal our vehicle,’” the Grand Island resident recalled, “and we came flying out of the house.”
The would-be car thief couldn’t figure out how to back the vehicle out of the driveway but the attempted theft has, Lindsey Cruz said, shattered their sense of safety.
In response, she started an online call to action that received hundreds of signatures of support. She’s seeking more police, community volunteers and even private security to patrol roads at night.
“I started doing a little bit of research and, honestly, what I found is it’s out of control,” Cruz said in an interview.
However, law enforcement officials say there’s a simple – and in Buffalo’s suburbs, recurring – explanation behind most of the stolen vehicles on the island:
Sixty percent of recent cases involved vehicles left unlocked with the keys – or a key fob – inside, according to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.
“Law enforcement cannot, in itself, stop all these crimes of opportunity,” said Sheriff John Garcia, who lives on the island. “We have to work together. We have to make sure that we educate the public as to what the trend is.”
Stolen vehicle reports on the island remain low. There have been six such calls so far in 2024, up from three over the same period last year.
Officials acknowledge the traumatizing effects of any crime but say islanders need to take basic precautions.
“The bridges don’t make us a gated community,” said Eric Fiebelkorn, president of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce.
Traumatic thefts
Cruz admits her husband accidentally left their SUV parked in their driveway – instead of in their garage – unlocked and with the key inside.
She said security camera footage from Feb. 5…
Read the full article here