Between January and May 2026, the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) recorded 553 emergency calls related to the theft of auto parts or accessories in the municipality of Puebla, averaging four reports per day for this crime.
According to information obtained through transparency channels, January saw the highest incidence with 138 calls—representing 25 percent of the total—followed by March with 128 reports, April with 106, February with 93, and May with 88, the latter being the month with the fewest calls.
The geographical distribution of the reports shows that the Historic Center (Centro Histórico) had the highest crime rate, accounting for 34 emergency calls, or 6.1 percent of the total recorded.
Next was the Azcárate neighborhood—located a short distance from the Historic Center and Plaza Dorada—with a total of 15 reports; further down the list were El Carmen with 13, Los Volcanes with 12, and La Paz with 11, while there were also 10 calls where the neighborhood could not be identified.
While the SSP documented 553 emergency calls, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) opened 665 investigation files for auto part theft between January and May—112 more cases, a difference of nearly 20 percent. These were distributed as follows:
January: 164
February: 101
March: 144
April: 140
May: 116
Adults between the ages of 30 and 60 accounted for the majority of victims of this crime; this age group included 255 men and 177 women. Next were men aged 18 to 29, with 69 cases, followed by men over 60, with 61 cases.
Also reported were 27 women aged 18 to 29 and 26 women over 60, in addition to 51 victims whose gender or age was not identified, as well as a few isolated cases involving minors and individuals with unspecified details.
According to the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions, approximately 70 percent of the thefts involve rearview mirrors, headlights, and front bumpers; however, in recent years, criminal groups have also begun stealing onboard computers, electronic modules, and other high-value components.
A man was caught in broad daylight stealing auto parts from a vehicle parked on 11 Oriente Street—between 4th Street and 5 de Mayo Boulevard—in Puebla City’s Historic Center.
The footage circulated rapidly on social media, showing a man—estimated to be in his 30s—holding a screwdriver and looking around before removing the vehicle’s wheel covers.
The individual, who is carrying a backpack, removes his sweater to cover the stolen part—avoiding detection during the theft—and then leaves the scene. (MCJ)
Source: e-consulta
