Car-door thieves slam NYC Toyota owners

Car-door thieves slam NYC Toyota owners

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

December 26, 2005

NEW YORK – A bizarre New York crime wave that leaves car owners doorless has investigators clueless.

The "Whole of the Door Gang" is swooping down on Toyotas across Queens, stunning car owners who find their vehicles with huge gaps where the back doors used to be.

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"It's hard to find a used door for Camrys and Highlanders, because owners keep the cars for so long," said Jason Martinez, a damage adjuster for Geico. So the streets become their marketplace.

The vehicles are different makes and models, and probably unrelated crimes, a police source said. The thieves sell the doors to chop shops or unscrupulous salvage yards and repair shops. Police say some shops try to pass the doors off as new, pocketing a profit after overcharging customers.


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http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051226/news_1n26doors.html