BALTIMORE (WMAR/CNN) - A woman said thieves got to her car over the weekend and took off only with the doors.
Ann Carmody said whoever jacked her two car doors has done this before.
"They just came, got what they wanted and were gone," Carmody said.
The doors to her 2014 Toyota Camry were stolen in the middle of the night over the weekend in Patterson Park, and it was quick work.
"They broke the driver's side window, reached in and opened the hood, and then disconnected the battery cable right away so no alarm would go off and the electric would be dead to the door," Carmody said.
"The doors are such a big item and you have to be strong enough." said David Scherr, general manager of K&S Associates, a body shop in Hampden.
He said you'd only need a few tools to get it done, and in minutes, thieves can be on their way.
"They can do it pretty fast. There's five bolts that holds a door open," Scherr said. "There's a wire harness in the back of the door. You cut that, you pop off the five bolts, and the actual door will come off the vehicle."
In some cases, the 30-year mechanic says, the parts by themselves can be worth more than the entire car. It all depends on the buyer.
"A lot of times you see a lot of things taken out," Sherr said. "Most times, they break open the car door and they take things that are inside of the vehicle, usually."
In Carmody's case, it was the doors to her vehicle, a job she says was almost laughable.
"I have to admit it was a professional job. There's not a scratch on the car, not a mark anywhere," Carmody said. "None of the hinges that the door attaches to are bent. I mean, they knew what they were doing."
Some experts recommend buying an immobilizer that kills car engines to help prevent them from getting stolen.
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