HOT WHEELS CAN BE DEADLY
Costly rims have been linked to some Midwest deaths; locally, thieves aren’t taking lives

COACHELLA VALLEY -- They’re called dubs, spinners, Sprees, chrome: expensive, flashy wheel rims that are turning heads on the street.

These after-market rims sell for $2,000 to $20,000 a set, and in some parts of the country they can come at an even steeper price: death. But valley police say that is not a trend that is repeating locally.

While there is an occasional theft of the custom wheels in Palm Springs, the incidents are not on the rise and have never involved violence, said Cmdr. Mike McCabe of the Palm Springs Police Department.

The car owner usually comes outside in the morning to find the vehicle up on blocks and the wheels and tires missing, he said.

"A carjacking is still fairly rare here," McCabe said.

Generally people do not get carjacked for just their wheels, he said, the thief is usually after the entire car.

But in Milwaukee, five people have been killed since May 2001 in incidents involving expensive car rims, according to court records.

Custom rims and other accessories have long been a part of America’s automotive obsession.

But some fear the glorification of pricey rims by the hip-hop culture, rappers, athletes and shows such as MTV’s "Pimp My Ride" will only make things worse as youths try to imitate their role models.

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