Hudson Heights residents hope police action will crack down on string of car break-ins
HUDSON HEIGHTS, Manhattan (WABC) -- Residents in Manhattan's Hudson Heights neighborhood have been dealing with a rash of car break-ins and tire thefts for years and are hoping that police action will now offer them the break they've been waiting for.
On Cabrini Boulevard in Hudson Heights, next to a house of worship, the St. Frances Cabrini Chapel, an extremely lengthy string of car break-ins and tire thefts have taken place.
Alexander Peña had his car broken into on Cabrini last year. His airbag was stolen.
"I bought a club, which was something that was used in the 80s, I didn't expect to go back to that, it's insane," Peña said.
Back in 2014, at least 40 cars were broken into on one night during the winter.
According to the NYPD, there have been three reported tire or rim thefts along Cabrini near West 190th Street so far this year.
Anthony Ruiz has been documenting the crimes for his neighbors.
"It's frustrating because this erodes at the fabric of your sense of community and security," he said.
A stretch of Cabrini Boulevard is a beautiful street alongside the Hudson River. It's wonderful for walks by day, but by night, residents say it's empty and quiet, and that's when they say break-ins happen.
That's why Ron Diorio, who's lived in the area since 2000, parks in a garage.
"You have to park up here, it's at your own risk," Diorio said. "So we decided that it was better to put it in a garage. Take the expense and protect the value of the car."
After all these years, police did install a pole camera along with light towers last week to address the problem. The 34th Precinct is also assigning additional patrol officers to the area at the end of January.
Drivers are hoping to finally catch a break.
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