Wheel thefts in Milwaukee; cars left sitting on concrete bricks

MILWAUKEE - Thieves stole the wheels right off several vehicles in Milwaukee this week. Drivers found their cars sitting on slabs of concrete and bricks. 

When Christina Kennedy brought a new car, she had to capture the moment. 

"I was really excited," Kennedy said. "I was like, ‘Oh my God, I finally have a car.’"

Christina Kennedy

But someone turned Kennedy's celebration into sadness. 

"Two weeks with a new car and it’s just sitting here on bricks," Kennedy said.

All four wheels from her car were stolen as the vehicle sat on Oakland Avenue near North Avenue. Kennedy uses the car to take her daughter to school and go to her nursing classes.

"I’m a single mom. It hurts like hell to come outside, and my wheels are gone. I worked really, really hard, you know?" Kennedy said. 

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Police say the theft happened Monday night, April 3. City crime data shows thefts are down in Milwaukee compared to this time last year. But a map shows thefts that are happening are heavily in the downtown and Lower East Side areas. 

"You finally find something that’s stable, something reliable, and it’s taken from you," Kennedy said.

At 76th and Brown Deer Road, there was a similar investigation outside an auto shop. Milwaukee police say thieves took tires and recently ripped rims off seven vehicles. Workers at the nearby auto store say thieves even brought their own bricks to get the job done.

"It is becoming more and more common," said Jesse Moffet, owner of Good Hope Service.

Jesse Moffet

Moffet said there is a way for drivers to better protect their vehicles. 

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"The easiest answer it to buy wheel locks. It replaces one of the lug nuts on each wheel," Moffet said. "Basically you need a key to take that particular lug nut off."

Tire locks

You can buy the wheel locks at local auto parts stores. As for the tire theft crimes, police have not said if they are connected.