Tires, wheels of multiple Ford Explorers stolen under I-95 in South Philly; police investigating

PHILADELPHIA - South Philly residents who are just looking for a place to park are frustrated and now have to worry about waking up to their cars stripped of tires after some say the wheels and tires of their Ford Explorers have been stolen. FOX 29's Greg Payne spoke with a woman who lost all of her tires. 

Underneath Interstate 95 in South Philly are lots where many residents park their cars throughout the day and night. 

"This is a free lot that we all kind of just use because there’s no other parking throughout the city. You come right through this way and everyone just parks you could see everyone’s vehicle on here. It’s just convenient because we all live right here," said Dana Howlett, a South Philly resident.

But the major risk came to light when Howlett's daughter noticed something amiss Tuesday morning. 

"We walked to the car my daughter started hysterical crying, 'What happened to our car, what happened to our car'," Howlett shared.

All four wheels and tires on her black Ford Explorer SUV were gone, the only thing left behind were the lug nuts.

Howlett has spent all morning stuck on her phone trying to get replacements.

"Do you want me to take those lug nuts off, or I’ll just leave them until they get here?" she asked someone while on the phone.

 "This has been ongoing for the past three weeks, maybe even longer that I have heard of, but they’re hitting two explorers. They’re hitting Kias, It’s just nonstop. Hardworking parents trying to go to work and now we can’t, we can’t have anything nice," she lamented.

Another Ford Explorer, just blocks away, was found sitting in the same condition. 

Police say they are aware of the incidents and are actively investigating.

"I’ve seen, one tire, two tires, busted windows, windshields," John Fuerst, another South Philly resident, said.

Fuerst lives nearby and says these incidents happen so often it doesn’t even come as a shock anymore. "It’s frustrating because I can’t park my car under here because I don’t know what they would do, so I stay away and hope for the best," he explained.

Howlett is hoping something on the city level can be done, whether it be more law enforcement or cameras in the area. 

"Can you get more patrol around here? I mean, I see cops all the time but not in the area. You know that this is a hot area, come drive-by two, three o’clock in the morning because this is when this is happening," she urged.

Councilman Mark Squilla said the city is taking this issue very seriously and that police are taking steps to prevent this from happening. 

"They do believe that it is a ring and that hopefully once we get them that this crime spree will stop, but it’s also within major crime so major crimes unit also has the information," Councilman Squilla explained. 

Many people have been asking about cameras being added under the bridge which Councilman Squilla says PennDOT and other officials are discussing the possibility.