Car thieves target stretch of Grand River Avenue in west Detroit

Vehicles targeted along stretch of Grand River Avenue near Southfield Freeway on Detroit's west side

DETROIT – Vanessa Rucker and Shauna Johnson both work at businesses on Grand River Avenue near the Southfield Freeway in Detroit.

The women have helped revitalize the area, and now that people are moving back into the neighborhood, so too are thieves -- car thieves, in particular.

Vehicles parked in the area have been stolen a lot recently. If the car is not taken, the wheels are. Recent surveillance video from a nearby business shows a man rip wheels off cars.

"You don't expect to have somebody come in a take your property while you're working," said Johnson.

Johnson knows firsthand how much this will cost. She, after all, is an insurance agent.

"I sell insurance. I know this is the type of thing that causes rates to increase, when people have to file claims," she said.

Anyone with information on the thefts is asked to contact Detroit police.