TYLER (KYTX) - If you have a truck, or know anyone who does, pay attention. Thieves are targeting your tailgate.
East Texas is home to lots of truck drivers, so if you're one of them, you're an easy target, because tailgates are worth a lot of money. Tyler detectives say you can prevent yours from being stolen.
Daniel Serrano never thought having a truck would make him a target.
"My truck was parked at Don Juan's, in the back parking lot," Serrano says.
When he walked back to his truck to drive home, he was in immediate disbelief. Someone had ripped his tailgate right off his truck.
"I'm doing my claim report right here at my insurance."
Replacing it won't be cheap. It will cost him $850.
Detective Gary King with the East Texas Auto Theft Task Force, says tailgates are more expensive than you may think, and that's why thieves want them.
"It's not really specific to a particular make, Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Nissan," King says.
The thieves don't discriminate, so if you have a truck, be prepared, so you can avoid becoming a victim.
King says, "Some of the manufacturers are actually installing locks on the tailgate so the actual key for the truck, you can actually lock the tailgate where you can't open the tailgate."
Otherwise, your tailgate may be vulnerable. They're very easy to remove, but if you lock it, it's not going anywhere.
Serrano says he has a lock on his tailgate, and he usually keeps it locked.
"That night I forgot to lock my door," Serrano says.
He says it's something he'll never forget again.
"Yes. I promise!"
And he's warning others to do the same.
"Just keep an eye on your trucks, wherever you are, keep an eye on your trucks and make sure they're locked."
Another way to make sure your tailgate stays on your truck, is to plan out where you park it. Park it in a garage, or back it up to your house, where it'd be harder to get to. If you're in a parking lot, leave it in a place with lots of light.
Detective King says thieves are selling these tailgates here and also a lot in the Dallas area..
They either sell them to salvage yards or they'll actually sell them on the Internet. These thieves will see ads on Craigslist for a specific kind of tailgate, steal that exact one, and then answer the ad.
If your tailgate is stolen, report it to Tyler Police so the East Texas auto theft task force can investigate.
