Authorities are warning Broward residents about thieves who are targeting car air bags throughout the county.
More than 70 vehicles have been targeted by thieves throughout the county in November, Broward County Sheriff's Office officials said Wednesday. There have been 13 car burglaries in Tamarac, nine in Weston and about 50 in Deerfield Beach.
The latest spree happened Monday at the Crystal Lake apartments in Deerfield Beach, where 20 cars were burglarized, officials said.
Investigators believe the thieves sell the air bags to unscrupulous body shops, pocketing hundreds of dollars for each one. The body shops then place fraudulent claims to insurance companies for the cost of new air bags.
The thieves have been targeting Honda Civics and Accords and various Acura models. They also target large apartment complexes where they can hit a large amount of cars in a short amount of time.
Anyone with information about the air bag thefts is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
