Bronx auto thefts fuel community concerns as NYPD pushes prevention efforts in Riverdale

As thefts of auto parts and vehicles continue to unsettle neighborhoods across the Bronx, the New York Police Department’s 50th Precinct hosted an auto theft prevention event May 17 aimed at helping residents protect some of the borough’s most frequently targeted cars.

The event offered free catalytic converter etching — a process that engraves identifying information onto the device to make it easier for police to trace it if stolen — along with free wheel locks for qualifying models.

The outreach effort comes as many residents across greater Riverdale say vehicle thefts have become increasingly disruptive and expensive, even as police tout recent progress against organized theft crews operating across the Bronx.

At a May 14 50th Precinct community council meeting, Captain Amadeo Oktrova warned residents that Hondas and Toyotas remain among the neighborhood’s most frequently stolen vehicles, particularly SUVs and sedans that thieves can quickly reprogram and drive away.

“Our top stolen vehicles are the Honda CR-Vs, Honda Accords, and also Toyota 4Runner or Highlander,” Oktrova said. “They’re reprogramming the keys. They’re showing up, and they’re starting those cars remotely and just getting in the car. And so it takes about 10 seconds for them to take the car.”

Kias and Hyundais, he added, also continue to be common targets because of vulnerabilities in ignition systems that have circulated widely online in recent years.

“If you have those cars, please just park it in a well-lit area or under a camera, or maybe we should go back to the old days with clubs on wheels,” he said, referencing the use of steering wheel locks popular in the late 20th century. “They’re going to look for the next car. They’re going to look for an easy target.”

The warnings come just weeks after Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced the takedown of “Operation Pit Crew,” a sprawling auto theft operation that authorities say stole cars, rims, tires and catalytic converters throughout the city, including numerous incidents in the Bronx.

A 971-count indictment charged 16 people accused of operating in highly coordinated crews that targeted vehicles overnight. Surveillance footage released by prosecutors showed masked thieves arriving in stolen cars, lifting vehicles onto milk crates and stripping tires and rims within minutes using power tools.

“It was systematic,” Tisch said during the press conference. “It was methodical and calculated.”

Authorities said the suspects often targeted common vehicles because their parts were easiest to resell online and through auto shops.

At the 50th Precinct meeting, Oktrova noted that “a good amount” of the auto crimes connected to the operation occurred within the precinct.

While NYPD data shows auto theft numbers in the precinct have stabilized in recent weeks following the arrests, residents say the effects of the crime wave continue to reverberate.

For Marc Franzblau, a Riverdale resident, it changed his perspective on what he viewed as a quiet, safe neighborhood.

In 2023, Franzblau told The Press, thieves stole the catalytic converter from his 2007 Honda Accord while it was parked in South Riverdale, near P.S. 24. About a year later, he said, it happened again. After the second theft, he paid to have a steel protective bar installed beneath the car in hopes of deterring future attempts, and said it’s so far proved successful.

Then, last November, he said, thieves stole an entirely different vehicle of his: a 2023 Toyota RAV4.

Security footage obtained by Franzblau from a building on Hudson Manor Terrace, and provided to The Press, appeared to show a man parking nearby on West 236th Street before walking calmly toward the SUV in the middle of the night. Within moments, the rear passenger window was shattered. Then, the video appears to show the vehicle powering on.

“You can tell [it powered on remotely] because all the lights flashed, the alarm went off for a while, the rear gate opened,” Franzblau recalled. “Then they closed it really quickly and drove off.”

He eventually replaced the stolen vehicle with another Toyota, valuing the cars’ reliability despite knowing they remain frequent targets. But Franzblau said the repeated thefts have changed how his family views staying in the city long term.

Another Riverdale resident, Nelson, who declined to share his last name and moved to the neighborhood in 2025, was drawn to what he called the area’s reputation for peace and safety. However, Nelson explained, he was warned shortly after arriving that Hondas were often targeted in the area, but at that point, there was not much he could change. Months later, he told The Press, his 2024 Honda Civic was stolen from a street near West 239th Street.

Weeks after it went missing, police recovered the vehicle in an abandoned Jerome Avenue parking lot, saying it was alongside several other stolen cars.

After replacing the Civic with a Honda CRV, Nelson said thieves struck again, according to a police report provided to The Press — this time stealing the radar sensor from the front of the vehicle while it sat inside a paid outdoor parking lot. Two other CRVs in the same lot were also targeted that night, the resident added.

“I paid $300 to put it in the outdoor lot, thinking it was secure,” Nelson said. “Then I got my new car, not even two months old, and had the sensor stolen.”

As a result of the theft, he said his insurance later increased by roughly $50 a month, and he has since moved the vehicle into a more secure indoor garage after losing confidence in outdoor parking lots. Between the higher insurance premium and the cost of the garage, Nelson estimates the thefts now cost him at least $4,000 more per year than he had been paying prior to the incident in 2024.

Even with recent arrests, Captain Oktrova said residents should continue taking precautions, including parking beneath lights, using steering wheel locks and participating in anti-theft programs like the one hosted this month.