Norman Car Burglaries Infuriate Owners

Gan Matthews, News 9

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- Car thieves are striking in Norman, and even the most exclusive neighbors are not immune.

Norman police say in about a dozen cases over the last month thieves have been stealing all four tires from parked cars in the middle of the night.

Bob Stephenson lives in the tony Brookhaven Addition. Tuesday morning a Norman police officer rang his doorbell and informed him that all four tires had been removed from his SUV.

"It irritated me," Stephenson says,"cause I think people that do things like this, if they spent more of their time figuring legal things to make a living they'd probably make more money than they make off of robbing out here."

Ariel Derick also lives in Brookhaven. She says thieves have broken into her car twice. She says she sees little or no police patrolling in her neighborhood. "If you feel like there needs to be patrolling going on," she says, "you really kind of have to do it yourself."

Norman police say they do have patrols in Brookhaven, but because they mainly patrol at night they may not be noticed by homeowners. Police plan to increase the number of patrols.

Police say there are probably two or more thieves involved in these crimes. Police have some leads, but there have been no arrests yet.

Meanwhile, some Brookhaven residents are no longer parking their cars on their front driveways at night.