The Investigators

Tarrant Task Force Cracks Down On Stolen Wheels

(CBS 11 EXCLUSIVE) In the bed of a gold pick-up truck on the side of the road the trap is set: shiny chrome wheels.

It doesn't take long for thieves to bite or for the Tarrant Regional Auto Crimes Task Force to move in. The sting is all part of their operation targeting thieves out to steal 22-24-inch chrome wheels worth thousands of dollars and considered a must have by many drivers.

Last month, Derek Morgan found out the hard way, thieves have a "thing for bling."

It was Sunday morning and he said his wife noticed something outside – his trailer was parked at his Arlington home, but not his 2004 Dodge Ram pick-up was not.

Police recovered the truck the next day and it's been at the shop ever since.

"When I saw the trailer, it was heartbreaking," he admitted.

"All the wheels are gone. All the door jams busted open. Two boulder rocks busted through the glass. The center console was damaged … steering column damaged."

Task force detectives have seen this thousands of times before Morgan's report.

"A lot of the trucks that get stolen in the Metroplex are being recovered -- just minus the wheels and that appears what suspects are looking for ... those 22- and 24-inch chrome rims," Det. Jesse Minton with the task force explained.

This prompted the task force to start a separate sting operation involving chrome wheels. So far, they've arrested 23 people -- including the three they made during the most recent sting.

Detectives have used bait cars to catch people in the act. One of the accused recently gave everyone a surprise.

Police watched as 69-year-old Sandra Taylor Turner sat in the bait car, then got out, walked around and then got back in and drove away.

At first, she seemed nervous when she saw police approaching, but then seemed relieved as they pass her.

Soon after, Turner realized she was in a bait car and that officers can just turn it off with the click of a computer.

Turner posted a $5,000 bond on the auto theft charge.

"We believe this is the oldest suspect that we've had arrested to date in our program," Minton said. "It's just a surprise … every time what the situation is. What are these people thinking?"

The task force said their efforts are paying off.
In 1991, there were more than 19,000 vehicles stolen in Tarrant County. That number has plummeted to nearly 6,000 vehicles stolen in 2007.

Vehicle burglary numbers, however, are rising. Tarrant County recorded nearly 26,000 last year.

Detectives note about half of the vehicles stolen had either the keys left inside or were left unlocked."

The National Insurance Crime Bureau has donated bait cars and the chrome wheels with the hope of putting the brakes on vehicle thefts. They say it costs the economy $8 billion nationwide each year.

Fred Lohmann with the National Insurance Crime Bureau said stolen vehicles increase insurance premiums for everyone.

"We all suffer as a result of vehicle theft and insurance fraud. We're all paying for it."

As Morgan's truck remains in the shop, losses to his tile restoration business keep climbing.

"We've had to postpone some jobs, move things around and we even lost some of our work tools that were in our truck," he said. "So, it was a big blow."

The Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority funds the task force in Tarrant County. 

The agency also  has many tips to protect your vehicle from thieves and information about anti-theft devices.

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