To steal a tyre instead of a car

Managers were confused when they came to work and found 22 cars missing all four wheels. Even more shocking was that each of the vandalised vehicles was propped on tiny wooden blocks.

After disabling the security lights the thieves went to work, even going so far as being picky about the merchandise: they stole only 20" wheels. Ford reports that the theft will cost the dealer's insurers about $14 000

"They must have been working for at least an hour or two and that's the thing that's shocking... with so many cars passing by, that nobody saw anything," said general manager Mark Holian.

The Angleton police department has found a pattern in the thefts. Many car dealers around Houston have been raided in a similar way with vehicles being stripped of wheels and left on wooden blocks.

"Make sure that all these are connected, such as from Madisonville, Sealy and Houston. They all had some in November," Angleton Police Department Sgt. Kirk Coleman said.