Auto Part Thefts Spike in Chetumal Streets

CHETUMAL, Quintana Roo — A wave of thefts targeting auto parts from vehicles parked at their owners' residences, primarily automotive computers, was reported in Chetumal over the weekend. At least ten cases were reported in various neighborhoods of the Quintana Roo capital, demonstrating the insecurity prevalent on the city's streets.

Some of these incidents were captured by security cameras, which show the thieves—identified as an adult man and a young man with glasses—displaying knowledge of mechanics due to the speed and ease with which they open vehicle hoods and remove the parts.

Incidents Captured on Camera

One such case was recorded in the early hours of Saturday on the streets of Dos Aguadas and Chetumal in the Proterritorio neighborhood, where the criminals extracted the electronic system from a white Chevrolet Aveo.

During the same early morning period, the same individuals removed the computer from a Sportvan parked in front of a home on Aarón Merino Fernández street, between Carlos A. Vidal and Tikal, in the Fovissste Tercera Etapa neighborhood. This case was also captured by security cameras, which allow for a clearer view of the thief.

Similar cases were reported in the Italia, Forjadores, and Miraflores neighborhoods, demonstrating that the recorded incidents were not isolated events.

A Technical Modus Operandi

According to citizen reports, the criminals operate in the early morning hours with a modus operandi that reveals technical knowledge: they force open the hood, cut the battery cables to deactivate the alarm, and take only the computers and wiring harnesses from the automobiles, leaving the rest intact.

Neighbors reported that the thieves do not act alone, as a vehicle was waiting for them on the corner to make a quick getaway. The vehicle is described as a Honda Accord, approximately a 2006 model, with a roof rack.

Community Response and Investigation

For some of the affected individuals, the peculiar aspect is that the thieves had enough time to open the car, cut the wires, and take only the computers, as if they already had a secure market in which to sell them.

Faced with the increase in reports, residents have begun to organize themselves to share videos, photographs, and information that could help identify those responsible, even offering rewards.

Some are willing to take matters into their own hands if there are no results from the authorities. They have requested that an alert be disseminated and have enabled the phone number 9831640616 to provide information that could help locate the thieves.