PLAINFIELD — It's a quick and easy crime that could cost you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
An Avon woman is warning pickup truck owners after someone stole her truck's tailgate.
"It's kind of useless right now," Nicole Wilson said. "Can't move anything or do anything with it, so just a hassle."
It was an unexpected crime that happened when her husband ran into a Walmart in Plainfield for a quick errand.
"Came out probably 20 minutes of being in the store and realized his tailgate was missing," Wilson said.
Plainfield police said they are reviewing security footage from the Walmart parking lot, but they do not have any suspect information.
Now they are looking about about $2,000 to replace it, and it turns out it isn't an isolated incident. Tylor Campfield, who works at Campfield's Auto Repair Shop in Plainfield, said the crime is fairly common. Employees at his shop just finished repairing another truck after its tailgate was stolen.
"People like to take them," Campfield said. "It's quick, easy and they grab them."
There are a few things you can do to protect your truck. Campfield recommends always keeping the tailgate locked and parking in well-lit areas. He said a cheap piece of equipment can also be a major deterrent to would-be thieves.
"Put a hose clamp around. You can get it any parts store less than a dollar," Campfield said. "Put it on, tighten it down with a screwdriver. Most thieves aren't going to have a screwdriver or want to get it. They want quick, easy. Get it and go "
The Wilson family said they'll be doing everything they can now to stop this from happening again.
"Keeping it locked. Everything has to be locked down now, including the tailgate, and just really being more aware of the surroundings. If you see something that might be suspicious in a parking lot, somebody messing with a car, it may be a good time to question it and ask authorities to take a look at it," Wilson said.
