'Thieves' Dismantle Car at Livingston Mall

Do you drive a sports car? If so, chances are you already know that you are at risk of having it broken into or stolen.

What about if you drive a common, less sporty car, such as the Toyota Camry or Honda Accord? Are these models less susceptible to being stolen?

The answer is no. As a matter of fact, these cars may be more desirable targets for thieves, according to statistics.  Another startling fact is that cars account for nearly one half (44 percent) of all stolen property in the state of New Jersey.

In a demonstration presented by Allstate Insurance agents Neil Greco and Michael Kiel, whose offices are located in Roseland, shoppers at the Livingston Mall on Friday were shown just how easy it is to break into and dismantle a vehicle.

As the Allstate agents explained, "common" cars are stolen for their parts, rather than for the entire car. According to one of the agents, in New Jersey alone, a car is stolen every 26 minutes. This equates to over 202,280 stolen cars every year in the Garden State.

For the demonstration, Allstate arranged for three mock-thieves to attempt to strip down a 2006 Honda Accord as quickly as possible.

Once the buzzer rang, the "thieves" immediately began dismantling the automobile. First, they removed the hood before literally tearing the bumper off its hinges.

Shockingly, after only 4 minutes and 44 seconds, the three employees were able to remove just about every piece of the vehicle, including the hood, seats, wheels and bumpers. Even more stunning, the workers were able to rip parts from the car without the use of powertools. This means that real criminals could perform these tasks without drawing a great deal of attention to themselves.

In a real-life scenario, these parts would then likely be sold to chop shops for a large sum of money. On the black market, a Honda Accord's rear bumper would likely sell for around $300, while a complete set of wheels would bring in around $200.

Fortunately, drivers are not completely helpless and there are precautions that can be taken to prevent a vehicle from being stolen.

Allstate recommends keeping your vehicle locked at all times and parking in areas that are well-lit. In addition, the agency reminds drivers to keep their valuables, such as iPods and spare keys, out of sight to discourage thieves from breaking in.

Still, precautions aside, mall shoppers seemed shocked at just how easy it was for the "thieves" to steal and dismantle a car.