Thieves steal woman's Hyundai three times from same CHA parking lot
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago grandmother has had her Hyundai stolen not once, not twice, but three times from the same parking lot.
Helen Chambers said the situation is so bad that her grandson is taking the battery out of her vehicle. Chicago police have recovered her now badly damaged car every time, but she's worried the next time it will be gone for good.
Chambers said she didn't even know her 2020 Hyundai Tucson had been stolen from her handicapped spot in the Patrick Sullivan Senior Apartments parking lot on the West Side the first time it happened in June.
"Police said they thought they were using it as a smash-and-grab," she said.
Police found it abandoned near 35th Street and King Drive.
The car thieves had taken everything she had inside, and the steering column had been torn up.
On a fixed income, the 73-year-old couldn't afford to fix it. Then, on Tuesday, she got a call from her neighbor.
"She say, 'Helen, Where's your truck?' So I went to the window, and it was gone," she said.
Her Hyundai was stolen and recovered again, this time even more damaged, including a broken tail light and big scratches on both sides.
To her complete disbelief, just 24 hours later, another call from CPD.
"It was gone again," she said.
Hyundai and Kia vehicles account for more than half of all vehicles stolen in Chicago in 2023, and her car falls into the 2011 and 2022 model range that's part of a lawsuit the city of Chicago filed against the automakers on Thursday over those vehicles' lack of "vital anti-theft technology."
"I think they should not have let me get out of there without that safety feature," Chambers said.
Helen said Chicago Housing Authority security should also be to blame.
They have 24/7 security, and cameras on the parking lot, but she said the security hasn't stopped or even noticed any of the thefts.
CHA would only say that vehicle thefts at Patrick Sullivan are rare, but residents are encouraged to contact the police and file a report.
"We, the seniors here, need more security," she said.
At last check, no one had been arrested in any of the three car thefts.
CHA said they actively work with the Chicago Police Department to stop vehicle theft and other criminal activity.
"The safety and security of our residents are of the utmost importance, and CHA actively works with the Chicago Police Department to curtail cases of vehicle theft and other criminal activity. We empathize with any resident who experiences such an episode. As we understand it, vehicle thefts at Patrick Sullivan are rare. But, in the instances that they do occur, residents are encouraged to contact the police and file a report. Residents can also request security footage by filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request through CHA. We also encourage any resident who experiences a vehicle loss or theft to immediately notify their property manager."
