South Tulsa Neighborhood On Alert Following Car Theft

People who live near 81st and Harvard in Tulsa are on high alert after a recent car theft.

Neighbors said their neighborhood is usually pretty quiet, but now, they plan to be much more careful.

“When you walk out, you just see a neighbor, you say what’s up, you know, it’s never that much of, too much going on in this area,” said Esther Karasanyi, a neighbor.

Neighbors said they are upset over recent crimes in this area.

"We thought we could leave the doors maybe unlocked but of course, you know, when you're in a safe neighborhood, you always think you are a little bit more safer,” said Lavonda Robinson, a neighbor. “But definitely locking the doors any time you're in and out of it, making sure you put the double-bolt locks on your patio doors."

Police arrested a woman recently accused of being with a group of people trying to steal cars.

The other two got away.

Neighbors said they are now taking extra precautions.

“I was in my backyard just using the door, and the next day, my dad had checked in with me, saying maybe you should stay with the door closed,” said Karasanyi.

“I just make sure to be safe and try to go during the day, even during the day is not safe, but like, you can take some safety measures to make sure that you’re ok,” said David Hilow, a neighbor.

They said they hope other people learn from what happened and become more aware.

“I say take all precautions, you can never be too safe,” said Robinson. “Whether you’re out in the public, or getting out of your car at home, they can always stand a chance of catching you as soon as you getting out of your car, or in a parking lot or out in public. There’s really no safe places as you can see.”

Police said one of the best ways to prevent becoming a victim of a car thief is to never leave your keys in your car always lock your car doors.