(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
SPOKANE, Wash. -A Spokane man has a strange warning for anyone who uses a Park and Ride.
Kevin Erickson says his truck was parked at the Fred Meyer parking lot on Thor Tuesday when someone cut the tailgate off his truck. When he spoke with the store, they went to the security tape and say someone in a white Ford Explorer parked next to him, broke the parts on the sides, pulled it out and drove off. The whole process only took about two minutes.
"It's something very technical," Erickson said. "Someone knows what they're doing."
Erickson says it's not the first time he's heard about something like this. He says someone in his daughter's ride share program also had their tailgate stolen. We did some research and it turns out tailgate theft is a national problem because of the high demand for tailgates following accidents. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported 1,787 tailgate theft claims in 2015. By comparison, in 2010, when the bureau first started monitoring the claims, there were 430. The NICB recommends using an after-market security device, such as a hinge lock to thwart criminals.
Erickson says he just wants others in Spokane to be aware.
"If you see somebody that is pulled up next to a rig with the tailgate down... That might not be a true statement," Erickson said.
If you know anything about this theft, or ever see something suspicious, call crime check at 509-456-2233.