MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Residents at Buckley Towers condos in North Miami Beach are dealing with the aftermath of a string of airbag thefts after multiple vehicles were targeted.
Standing in one of the affected areas, the damage stretches across rows of cars.
Residents described the suspects as “airbag pirates.”
“The air bag is gone,” said resident Alex Cernabas. “It’s very expensive. I went to look at it and they’re selling it on eBay for $750.”
Resident Mohammed Hussain said his wife called him after discovering their vehicle had been broken into.
“I was just surprised this afternoon and my wife called and (asked) do I know what’s happening? I said ‘no,’” he said.
Residents said 19 cars in the area were hit, with five vehicles damaged in one section of the parking lot alone.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
Cernabas said he is now helping his mother get to work because her car cannot be legally driven without an airbag.
“My mom couldn’t go to work. I’m trying to help her with it,” he said.
Residents say the thefts bring more than just the loss of an airbag, also making them deal with insurance deductibles, inconvenience and frustration.
“I hope they go to jail for a long time, and get a job,” said Cernabas. “Don’t steal from people that are working.”
Hussain, who owns the kind of vehicle residents believe is being targeted by the thieves, said he plans to keep a close eye on his vehicle after learning that 19 cars had been hit.
No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information about the airbag thefts is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
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