Airbag Thieves Strike Again In Northeast Philadelphia
By Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Several cars were broken into overnight in Northeast Philadelphia and it appears the thieves may have been targeting airbags.
Police say five vehicles were broken into, all within about a block of each other in the area of Hartel Avenue and Frontenac Street in the city's Rhawnhurst section.
The cars were all Hondas. The windows were smashed out, and in three of them, the airbags were stolen.
It's the second time in a matter of weeks that this has happened in this neighborhood. On March 1, about a mile away from this latest rash of thefts, nine Hondas were broken into, all of them newer models with the airbag as the target.
Officials say airbags are targeted because they can be removed within minutes and can sell from $50 to $200 hundred dollars on the black market, while new air bags from a dealer or repair shop can cost $1,000 or more.
Repairs to replace the airbags can cost car owners thousands of dollars.