L.A. County Leads in Car Thefts

The number of auto thefts in California increased 16.4% from 1985 to 1986, with half the thefts taking place in Los Angeles County, the Western Insurance Information Service reported today.

A record 208,064 vehicles were ripped off during 1986, the service said, with 103,000 of them stolen in Los Angeles County alone. “California is the first state ever to exceed 200,000 motor vehicle thefts in a single year,” said James Snyder, executive director of the information service. “The number of motor vehicle theft victims in Los Angeles County alone could practically fill the Rose Bowl.”