Woodbridge Investigates Air Bag Thefts [AUDIO]

Woodbridge Police are looking for whoever is responsible for breaking into two new vehicles, parked at a dealership on Route 1 South, and stealing the air bags.

You might not expect air bags to be targeted by thieves, but they are expensive to replace, and police captain Roy Hoppock said authorities are seeing more and more such thefts.

"Air bags cost anywhere from $900 and up," he said. "The thieves resell them on the Internet and people will buy them, because ultimately it saves them money if they are in an accident and can replace them on their own without having to pay the dealership."

The most recent thefts occurred last Thursday at the Richard Lucas Subaru dealership, where a gray 2014 Subaru BRZ 2.0 Premium was vandalized. Damage was estimated at $2,000. A black 2014 Subaru 2.0 BRZ Limited also was broken into, and damage to that vehicle was estimated at more than $4,000.

While a majority of air bag thefts happen in new vehicles, that doesn't mean you should keep your car unlocked.

"Thieves will think of anything; people still leave their cars unlocked, individuals will walk by, and if they see spare change or any other valuables they will open the door and take it," Hoppock said. "I've never heard of anyone's air bags being taken from a car parked in front of their house, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep your car locked and the vehicle clear of any valuables."