CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Tuesday we told you about a rash of violent robberies in Corpus Christi, and today, another crime wave: vehicle theft.
South side residents believe young criminals are responsible for a wave of cars that were stolen Wednesday morning.
Police said the Jeep that crashed into a utility pole on the 3200 block of Baldwin Boulevard near Morgan Avenue was stolen from a home on Torrente Drive.
Surveillance video from Andrew Brown's home on Torrente shows several people going through Brown's car and continuing down the street.
Brown said he was taking his kids to school Wednesday morning when he saw his neighbor, who looked upset.
"I asked him what was going on, and then he said his mother's Jeep was stolen," Brown said. "And I said, 'It probably had something to do with this and I sent him the videos.' "
Police confirmed the Jeep involved in the crash on Baldwin was Brown's neighbors' stolen Jeep.
"They look clearly coordinated and (like) they've done this before," Brown said. "I don't know about this block, but looks like it could be coordinated by someone with a little more know-how than just a child."
Later Wednesday morning, Corpus Christi Police Department officials confirmed that a truck was stolen from Whirlwind Street. That is in a neighborhood just a few miles from where the Jeep was stolen.
In this surveillance video, you see a Jeep pull up and two individuals get in a truck and take off.
"I'm shocked that it is happening in this area, and more so even shocked that the youth of the kids that look like they're involved in this," Brown said.
Rick Ojeda, who lives down the street from Brown, said he's had two of his vehicles broken into in this area.
"We thought it was great out here you know," Ojeda said. "We'd always come out here and visit. We moved because of our friends and stuff like that. It's kind of disappointing because its such a nice neighborhood."
Police have not confirmed that all of the car theft is connected, but said they are actively investigating the incidents.
Many residents we spoke to who don't already have surveillance cameras installed say they plan to, especially after Tuesday morning's events.
