Christmas Looters Pillage Vehicles Near James Madison High

At least two Midwood residents discovered their vehicles sitting on blocks and their tires stolen the day after Christmas, police say.

MTA bus driver Chris McLean, one of the victims, said he was on his way to the gym Saturday morning when he spotted his 2013 Honda Accord propped up on blocks beside the James Madison High School baseball diamond — on Avenue P, between East 26th and East 27th Streets.

“I saw my car all the way at the end of the block. It looked like it was leaning,” McLean explained. “Then I saw the bricks and I took my key out and said: ‘I hope it ain’t mine.’ I clicked the key and the lights went on.”

McLean said the thieves had smashed in the passenger-side window and retrieved the wheel lock, a type of wrench that fits into the lug nuts to remove tires. McLean said his insurance company would only pay for half the $2,000 needed to replace the tires. And after his car had been crashed into twice earlier this year while parked on the street, McLean said he had to shell out a total of $3,000 to fix his ride.

“To be honest with you, I’m afraid to put my car in the streets now,” he said.

When the tow truck came to take McLean’s car away, the driver told him that two other cars in the area had also been robbed that night.

The NYPD confirmed that one other person Saturday had reported their tires stolen on East 22nd Street, near Avenue R  — a few blocks away from where McLean’s car was parked. The thieves stole the tires and rims (worth $5,000) from a 2015 Infiniti, according to police.

Police say their are investigating the thefts and are canvassing the neighborhood for surveillance video.

McLean said a neighbor claimed to have witnessed three men milling around his car in the middle of the night.

“He didn’t know what they were doing. It was about 2am. But the same three guys probably hit the other cars right around the corner,” said McLean.