MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Crime is causing concern in the Central Gardens area after someone’s car was stripped of all four tires at Vance and Kimbrough in the middle of the night.
When Robin Waters discovered the damage Monday morning, the Toyota Corolla was being propped up by nothing more than a cinder block and a piece of broken concrete.
“I was like, oh, ok,” said Waters. “I was in a state of disbelief and annoyed. Like, this kind of thing is happening again.”
Waters said their roommate had a catalytic converter stolen twice in recent months. Waters doesn’t know why the thieves wanted the tires that were on that car.
“I bought the car used in November of last year, and those were the tires on it when I bought it,” Waters said. “When I reported it to police, they were surprised they stole Toyota tires. So, I guess there is not much of a demand for those.”
A post about the tire theft is getting a lot of attention on Nextdoor, where someone posted a picture of another car on Kimbrough that was stripped of its tires and rims on April 15 within a few hours.
“Sounds like someone is trolling our neighborhood. This is scary. Makes me want to move,” said one neighbor.
“So sad. They work quickly like a NASCAR pit crew,” said another woman.
According to the Memphis Data Hub, 52 crimes have been reported within a quarter mile of Waters’s home since the beginning of the year. Around 45 crimes were reported during the same period in 2022.
Most reports have been for property crimes, breaking and entering, thefts of vehicles, and thefts from vehicles.
Waters is still waiting on their insurance company to get the car towed and repaired. In the meantime, the roommates are already taking steps to beef up their security.
“We are thinking about getting security cameras. I did order signs that say that there is a security camera here. So whether or not the camera is there, the sign will at least act as a deterrent,” said Waters.
The neighborhood already has private security, but residents said it is not stopping the crime.
If you know anything about the recent thefts in the Central Gardens area, call CrimeStoppers at (901)-528-CASH.