The Fight Against Crime: Notes From the Front : Car Phones Are a Hot Item Among Thieves

Toyota 4Runner, Volkswagen Rabbit, Jaguar XJ6, Infinity Q45, Hyundai Excel.

Besides an engine and four wheels, many would say these cars have nothing in common. But police say there is another, more modern link among them: They are more likely to be driven by motorists who carry cellular telephones.

And cellular phones are the new hot item, not only for motorists, but for thieves as well.

Although many Valley residents believe it is safe to keep their cellular phones in a locked car--whether it be lying on a seat, under a seat or hidden in a glove box--police say they are at the top of the typical thief’s wish list.

So having a phone--or just a car that thieves figure is more likely to contain one--increases your chances of finding your car with a shattered window and your belongings missing, police say.

The area where such thefts are most common runs along Ventura Boulevard and up any of its side streets in the west San Fernando Valley, from the San Diego Freeway to Valley Circle Boulevard, where police say more than 200 cellular phones are stolen each month from cars.

“The cellular phone is the biggest draw to break into a car,” said Sgt. Dan Mastro of the Los Angeles Police Department.

“And Ventura Boulevard is like a supermarket for car thieves.”

The usual modus operandi for these thieves is to smash the car’s front passenger window with either a center punch or an elbow, or to slide in a slim jim or screwdriver to pry open a locked door, police say.

Then, in as little as five seconds, thieves grab the phone and dash from the car before most car alarms even go off, easily hiding the small phone under a jacket or shirt.

Most cellular phones are stolen around dinner time, when couples engage in lengthy meals and conversation at one of Ventura Boulevard’s popular restaurants and leave their cellular phones behind.

Lunchtime is also popular because a quick dash into the post office usually means the motorist won’t drag along her bulky cellular phone.

Thieves have also been known to hang out in the parking lots of health clubs, watching as customers gather their gym bags and leave their cellular phones behind.

One woman who left her cellular phone hooked up to a charger underneath her front seat was surprised when she returned to find the window of her car broken and both phone and charger gone.

She told police she didn’t know how the thieves saw the little red light under her seat, but she was informed that it was the charger’s hookup to car’s cigarette lighter that tipped them off, Mastro said.

“The main thing you should do is to take any property from the car and put it in the trunk,” advises Mastro. “When you leave the phones in plain sight, it’s like having a sign that says ‘take me.’ ”

Last month, the West Valley police station organized a task force to help combat the problem. The task force has arrested 13 people suspected of Ventura Boulevard phone thefts.

“Most of these people work in groups because we have seen five or six cars in one area hit in just minutes,” Mastro said.

And the losses for these thefts can be heavy, too. Up to $500 for most people, which includes the cost of repairing damage to the car.

If you happen to see one of these thefts taking place, make a good witness, Mastro said. Write down what the thief looked like and the license plate number of any getaway car and then notify police, he said.

Thieves who target cellular phones as their booty won’t take anything else in a heist, because cloning cellular phones is a big business in itself.

A cellular phone can be fenced for at least $150, police say. Once they are digitally re-cloned--changing the phone’s number to another--the phones are forever lost in the black market.

And the bad guys aren’t the only ones to be blamed in this scam. Motorists must take some of the responsibility, police say.

“Just because the phones appear to be secure, that is no excuse to not lock up your stuff,” said Mastro.