The San Diego Police Department told CBS 8 they found eight reports back to Jan. 1, 2025, with one being a “theft from a vehicle.”

SAN DIEGO — Residents in the area of Pacific View Drive report that car thieves are targeting surfers as they stash away their keys.

“Apparently, what happens is there will be a casual person, just acting like they’re watching the ocean, but they’re watching very closely where the surfers or beachgoers are hiding their keys,” Cheri Tabb, a longtime resident in the area, said. 

She told CBS 8 that the thieves are then able to make off with the surfers’ cars. 

“I put [the key] under the tire, like with a napkin,” Dylan Yuska, a surfer, said. 

Yuska told CBS 8 that thieves watching his every move has never been a thought while going out to surf. 

“Now I’m thinking… I hope my car is there right now,” Yuska said. 

Pacific Beach resident, Devlin Millay told CBS 8 that this is not necessarily a new crime trend. 

“When I was about 20 years old, about a mile away from here, I went surfing, hid my key underneath the bumper. I came back about an hour and a half later. My car ended up in Las Vegas,” Millay said. 

The San Diego Police Department told CBS 8 they found eight reports back to Jan. 1, 2025, with one being a “theft from a vehicle.” The department said that overall reported crimes in the area decreased over the previous reporting year. 

However, two vehicle thefts were reported on Pacific View Drive just this month. 

SDPD said that only some of the reports are seemingly associated with surfers and their vehicles. 

The SDPD sergeant that spoke with CBS 8 said he previously worked Beach Teams in the area and said he knows there have been instances where a surfer’s key was discovered by thieves and their vehicle, or items, were stolen. 

“If you can do it, put it inside your wet suit, in a little hide-a-pocket. That’s the way to go. Don’t keep them around your car because people are watching,” Millay said. 

Meanwhile, SDPD said they encourage surfers to make sure they are securing their vehicle and their keys.