TUCSON, Ariz. — Elizabeth Townsend has been living in the Midvale Park neighborhood in Tucson for about four months. Townsend was starting to settle in with her four kids and looking forward to spending time with them in the summer. Until May 29, when someone stole her white 2009 Chevy Tahoe with custom rims.
"They took it I don't know how. It was two or three in the morning my baby woke up and I put my baby back to sleep and I heard the noise I heard it happen I didn't think someone was stealing my car," Townsend said.
Elizabeth only had the SUV for six months, and when thieves took it they got away with her since of security and more.
"I had jewelry, a purse, id's, social security cards and birth certificates inside because I just had an appointment. Everything is in shambles," said Townsend.
According to Sargent William Corrales with Tucson police there's been a spike in car thefts within the 1 mile radius surrounding Midvale Park.
Five cars were stolen in April and ten were stolen in May.
Now police are saturating the neighborhood by stepping up patrol and talking to the community about the crimes.
"We have special deployments in the Midvale area we have officers in plain clothes and unmarked units patrol the area looking for suspicious activity, we have motor cycle officers do deployments," Corrales said.
Investigators do believe that some of the cars end up along I-19 headed towards Mexico.
Adding that one of the best ways to keep your property safe is to use a club and license plate fasteners to keep thieves at bay.
Now Townsend is hoping that someone will come forward with information so she can get her car on the road and her life back on track.
"In the neighborhood you feel safe but at the same time you're victimized. If they they took your car out of our yard who's to say they won't come into your house," she said.
