SF-born Bay Area radio and TV personality Chuy Gomez announced he’ll be co-hosting the first-ever live broadcast of SF’s Lowrider Parade and “King of the Streets” Hopping Competition with local reporter Sara Donchey on September 20 from 1–3 p.m.

As the Instagram account Bay Area TV writes, the parade’s inaugural September 20 broadcast will be aired on CBS Bay Area’s KPIX as part of San Francisco’s official National Latino Heritage Month celebration, which runs from September 15 through October 15, according to the event’s website.

In addition to the parade and hopping competition, over 300 low riders will be on display as part of the Class Car Show. According to Bay Area TV, hundreds of cars will be cruising in from across the West for the event — many from women-led clubs.

Although the deadline for the parade has passed, interested participants can still sign up for the hopping contest through August 31. The winner gets a $10,000 cash prize.

The event is put on by the San Francisco Lowrider Council and Cultura y Arte Nativa de Las Américas (CANA), celebrating the city’s Latino roots and resilience while uplifting neighborhood businesses, artists, and cultural traditions.

Image: San Francisco Lowrider Council/Facebook

Related: Video: Watch Mayor London Breed Riding In The LowRider Council Car Show

Separate sideshows were reported in several corners of the Bay Area over Saturday night and into Sunday morning, including San Francisco, Oakland, and Vallejo, where a Christmas tree was lit on fire.

San Francisco police said that they received reports of a sideshow in the Mission around 3 p.m. Saturday, per KTVU. Several vehicles were reportedly stunt-driving in front of a group of spectators near 13th Street and South Van Ness Avenue, before most fled. No arrests were made.

East Oakland also reportedly had at least three sideshows overnight within two hours. One drew about 50 vehicles and 200 spectators near 55th and Bancroft avenues around 1:30 a.m., which police broke up. There was also reportedly gunfire, but no victims were found. Another sideshow took place around 2 a.m. near 35th Avenue and Foothill Boulevard, followed by another one around 2:45 a.m. near West Grand Avenue and Maritime Street. Police said that about 50 vehicles participated, but gunfire erupted and the crowd dispersed, as KNTV reported.

Also around 2 a.m. in Vallejo, a rowdy sideshow occurred in which participants reportedly poured gas on a Christmas tree and lit it on fire.

Bay Area cities have been trying to crack down sideshows over the past few years, putting in place laws that fine drivers and spectators and impound cars.

Image: Joe Kukura, SFist

California could soon be making moves towards banning the sale of cars with internal combustion engines.

This revelation came by way of Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, who had a chat with Bloomberg regarding Governor Jerry Brown's growing interest in the ban. Nichols said, "I've gotten messages from the governor asking, ‘Why haven’t we done something already?’" Brown's question refers to how other governments in other countries like China, France, and the U.K. have already implemented plans to combat climate change by banning the sale of gas-powered vehicles. Nichols went on to say, "The governor has certainly indicated an interest in why China can do this and not California."

As we shared before, Governor Brown signed a deal with China's Ministry of Science and Technology, pledging support for continued research into climate research and the search for low-carbon energy sources. This move to emulate China, France, and the U.K.'s similar policies could be seen as an extension of that cooperative deal.

Of course, such a radical shift would take time to implement, especially stateside. The earliest we'd see any meaningful movement towards such a ban would be at least a decade out, according to Nichols. But even then, California has its work cut out for it in terms of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. As CNET's Roadshow points out, the state already has plans in place to reduce said emissions by up to 80% by 2050.

On top of California having to pass some relatively drastic legislation, automakers would have to come around and work to complement California's new policy, lest they lose a sizeable chunk of their market. In an e-mail to the Chron, John Bozzella, the president of the Association of Global Automakers trade group, wrote, "We have been working with California on intelligent, market-based approaches to emissions reductions beyond 2025, and we hope that this doesn’t signal an abandonment of that position. To reach our goals, we will need continued investment in new technologies, the infrastructure to support them, and, perhaps most importantly, consumers who will want to buy them."

It's that last bit that's the most telling: When it comes to demonstrating to automakers that zero-emission cars are in demand, Bozzella places the onus on consumers, essentially advising people to get out there and show their support with their wallets. It's not a completely off-base statement to make, either. The Chron shared a UC Davis study, which said that people who buy fuel-efficient or zero-emission cars often end up following up that purchase with a gas guzzling automobile. David Rapson, associate professor of economics at UC Davis, co-director of the Davis Energy Economics Program, and lead author of the study said, "If people buy a more fuel-efficient car, down the road when they replace one of their cars, the car they buy is going to be less fuel-efficient. So the effect of fuel economy standards is reduced."

Rapson also went on to say that saving on gas with those fuel-efficient cars leads to those owners driving their gas-guzzlers a lot more: "On average, fuel economy standards are putting more fuel-efficient cars in households. That can be good if it reduces gasoline use. But if it causes people to buy a bigger, less fuel-efficient second car to compensate, this unintended effect will erode the intended goals of the policy."

Again, implementing a major ban on the sale of gas-powered vehicles could trigger a veritable sea change in how other states view their own contributions to climate change. But any meaningful change in any direction is still decades away. In the meantime we'll just be over here trying not to get swept up in massive hurricanes or caught in outrageous wildfires.

Related: Elon Musk Snubs Trump, Quits Advisory Council Over Climate Deal Exit

Making an obligatory stop for a photo op in the nexus of once-upon-a-time and still-sorta-kinda Hippieville, the Upper Haight, here is VW's concept car version of their upcoming minibus throwback, which also just made an appearance at the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach over the weekend. Volkswagen has batted around ideas for updates on their iconic minibus over the years, but now they've made it official that this model, dubbed the I.D. Buzz, will go into production in 2022, as Road & Track reports. The six-seater car offers a spacious interior the size of a decent SUV while offering the more modest size of a compact cargo van — and it's fully electric, with Level 3 autonomous control, meaning it can steer, stop, and accelerate on its own in certain conditions, but requires a driver in the driver's seat.

A Reddit user posted the photo above of the car showing up in the Haight on Monday, complete with its ambient body lighting, and judging from the photo and video below, the German carmaker has been taking full advantage of this California trip for some advance marketing materials — the original VW bus being as deeply associated as it is with hippies, and thus, San Francisco.

As Hoodline notes, the ID Buzz was photographed parked next to a shiny orange vintage VW bus, obviously as part of a photo or video shoot with the Haight-Ashbury as a backdrop.

Via the video, we see the new brand of hip San Franciscan VW driver, complete with man bun, beard, surfboard, record player, and corporate job, is depicted in the video... and yeah. I guess that's who they see buying this thing.

Spotted near Haight Ashbury this morning. #vw #vwbus #idbuzz

A post shared by Tom Purves (@tpurves) on Aug 21, 2017 at 9:00am PDT

As you can see, the steering wheel is some sort of newfangled version of a steering wheel that retracts when not in use, and the car has various bang and whistles, like what appears to be a bluetooth speaker stereo thing that pulls out like a boombox.

Also, the front seats turn around so you can face people in the backseat, though presumably this is not an option while in motion — though this could be anticipating a time when the car goes fully autonomous (and won't be recommended for the easily carsick).

Photo: Volkswagen

Photo: Volkswagen

The ID Buzz had previously been shown at auto shows in Detroit and Geneva, and following that, Volkswagen CEO Dr. Herbert Diess says there was an outpouring of requests from customers to actually make this car.

"The Microbus has long been part of the California lifestyle," Diess said in a release. "Now we're bringing it back by reinventing it as an electric vehicle."

VW will also be making a commercial version called the ID CARGO, which will be a zero-emission delivery truck option for businesses. And going into production first will be the ID hatchback, arriving in 2020, and previously shown here by Road & Track last September. That car features the same ambient lights along the front, steering column, and semi-autonomous functions, as well as being all-electric with a 370-mile range on one charge — it's basically their new-century answer to the Beetle, and they think it can go fully autonomous by 2025.

Related: Video: Go Inside A 1967 Tour Bus As It Gawks At Haight Street Hippies

18-year-old Obdulia Sanchez was allegedly intoxicated and live-streaming a Friday evening car ride to her over 7,000 followers when she reportedly lost control of the car and crashed.

According to BuzzFeed and numerous other media sources, Sanchez was driving in Los Banos, California with her 14-year-old sister Jacqueline Sanchez Estrada and a 14-year-old friend. Sanchez was singing along to the music and moving her phone around the capture the car ride when she began to drift off the road, over-corrected, crashed through a barbed-wire fence, and flipped the car into a field.

Neither 14-year-old was wearing a seatbelt and both were ejected from the car. Jacqueline died and the other passenger sustained major injuries to her leg but is expected to survive.

Immediately following the accident, a bloodied Sanchez continued to live-stream the accident, including showing followers her dying or dead sister, saying:

"I fucking love my sister to death. I don't give a fuck. We about to die. This is the last thing I wanted to happen to us but it just did. Jacqueline, please wake up. This is the last thing I wanted to happen... I killed my sister, but I don't care. I killed my sister. I know I'm going to prison, but I don't care. I'm sorry, baby. I'ma hold it down.... rest in peace, sweetie."

Warning: Graphic NSFW content:

According to a GoFundMe page posted to raise money for funeral expenses, the girls were running errands for Estrada's upcoming quinceañera, scheduled for this past Sunday. ABC30 reports the teens were returning from a trip to Fresno.

"Friend of a friend" Mary Hernandez recorded the video from Sanchez's Instagram Stories before it could disappear.

"So many people kept saying 'What video? I wanna see it,'" explained Hernandez to BuzzFeed regarding why she posted the video to her social media accounts.

"At first I was skeptical, but the more people reached out to me, then her cousin confirmed it was her. It's just so insane to believe that happened to girls from my city. It is for sure an eye-opener. I see people on their phones on social media all the time. I think this video can get a lot of people to think twice about using their phones while driving now."

Hernandez went on to say, "No one wanted to believe it, it was so crazy how desensitized and careless she seemed about someone as close to her as her sister. Who in the right mind continues to record?"

Sanchez was arrested on felony charges of driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and has been booked into Merced County Jail. "They were very uncooperative after the arrest and [Sanchez] was screaming about her sister," California Highway Patrol Sergeant Darin Heredia told BuzzFeed.

According to the Daily Mail, authorities are investigating whether or not the video is authentic and if the filming contributed to the crash.

Related: Family Sues Apple Alleging FaceTime Caused Deadly Crash

There's another downside to living in the Bay Area.

According to a study by WalletHub, San Francisco is now America's worst city for drivers and Oakland is the second worst. What does that mean exactly? Let's examine:

WalletHub's 12 experts (including the University of California, Berkeley's Susan Shaheen) looked at the 100 largest cities in the United States and examined them through the lens of 25 different car-related factors in four main categories: Cost of Ownership & Maintenance, Traffic & Infrastructure, Safety, and Access to Vehicles & Maintenance. Each of the 25 factors were assigned point values and WalletHub added up each city's score, with 100 being the highest, or a perfect score.

San Francisco scored a 29.46.
Oakland scored a 36.37.

No one is worse than us. The next worst city in California is Los Angeles, coming in at 91st place with a score of 42.16. San Jose came in 87th with a score of 45.18.

All of the top scoring cities were out in the middle of nowhere Texas. For example, Corpus Christie came in first with a score of 69.76. San Francisco also tied with several other cities for worst traffic congestion, and Oakland tied with four other cities for highest car theft rate and highest average gas prices. The Bay Area scored OK only in weather-related factors.

This latest study echoes a report released last fall that suggests Bay Area traffic has increased as much as 70 percent in the last six years — and a lot of people are going to tell you that rideshare companies share some blame for that. A new report released in June suggests that Uber and Lyft alone account for 15 to 20 percent of weekday traffic in San Francisco.

But hey, at least we still have a world-class public transit system.

Related: Driving Apps Like Waze Are Making Traffic Worse, Says Expert

I have a theory that I've, admittedly, not really done much to prove aside from talking to friends with kids: Pixar's Cars movies are the ones parents like the least, while their (often male) kids love them the most.

I know plenty of adults who can burst into tears just talking about Toy Story 3 or Inside Out, but none who speak about Cars or Cars 2 with any genuine sense of fondness. And I tend to agree. I enjoyed the first Cars well enough, mainly because of its mid-century aesthetic, Route 66 setting, and its "stop and smell the roses" message. But Cars 2 was an exhausting assault of color and noise that made the fatal mistake of giving the sidekick the starring role. Neither film made me laugh that much, and they definitely didn't make me cry, which combined are the two things the best Pixar movies always manage to make me do.

Happily, Cars 3 feels like a course correction, with Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) once again relegated to the role of comic relief and Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) back in the lead. As the film opens, Lightning is racing again, although he's quickly coming to realize his glory days may be behind him, as more and more "next-gen" race cars join the competition. Those new-school competitors are headed by the unctuous Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer), a sleek black and blue model that can reach speeds over 200 mph thanks to modern tech and some advanced training methods.

An accident (that, be warned, might scare the younger kids) forces Lightning to return to Radiator Springs to recuperate, which mainly consists of his hiding out in his garage with the shades drawn and wearing primer grey paint, the car equivalent of "why even bother" sweats.

After a pep-talk from his girlfriend Sally (Bonnie Hunt) and some flashbacks featuring his beloved mentor Doc Hudson (Paul Newman, in a performance consisting of actual vocal outtakes from Newman as well as some impersonation), Lightning is convinced to suck it up and get back on the track (cue the Rocky III music).

Lightning's road to a comeback is also rocky, as Sterling (Nathan Fillion, with a voice that just oozes untrustworthiness), the new owner of Rust-eze, sees Lightning as more of a corporate mascot than an actual champion, placating him with a shiny training facility and a perky trainer named Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo, an inspired casting choice) who sees Lightning as an ancient relic.

Like the aforementioned Rocky movies, along with plenty of other "comeback" stories, what follows includes training montages, the aging champ clashing with his younger coach, throwing in the towel, and picking it up again.

But then Cars 3 does something unexpected, by propelling a female character into the center of the story. Putting aside the obvious fact that there are girls who like to play with cars, and boys who are happy playing with dolls, Cars, more than any of the other Pixar films, has always felt like a movie boys, especially when its success has been centered around its car-centric merchandising.

Wonder Woman, which has managed to hold the top box office spot in its second week of release, has proven to be an emotional viewing experience for a lot of women, with reports of some bursting into tears seeing Diana take to the battlefield as Wonder Woman for the first time. I'll admit, I had to fight tears myself. And I had a similar reaction watching Cars 3.

Obsolescence and the fear of forced retirement might seem like odd choices for a children's film, but they're really not that odd in the Pixar universe. Their movies have often grown up alongside their audience; Toy Story 3 was similarly about adulthood, and passing things on to the next generation; Cars 3 follows suit. And in both, the future is female.

Some Muni bus shelters on Saturday weren't displaying arrival times for buses: Instead, they read "Lowrider Cruise, 4/8 6pm to 9 pm." And cruise they did: The San Francisco Lowrider Council gathered 50 or so vehicles, by Mission Local's count, for a tribute to the late Mexican-American icon Selena. Her birthday, a Texas holiday, is later this month. Josh Jacobson was on hand and took these pictures of the event. The next big lowriders gathering is the 29th, for the Cesar Chavez parade.

Related: Video: All About SF's Rad Lowrider Culture

The year is 2027. You're running late for your job in Silicon Valley, and, as commuter traffic south out of SF has only increased over the last ten years, you know that the trip is going to take you at least 90 minutes — if you're lucky. What's an employee to do? According to a whitepaper released today by Uber, you hop in a battery-powered flying vehicle and zip right to your office — arriving in 15 minutes with time to spare.

"On-demand aviation has the potential to radically improve urban mobility, giving people back time lost in their daily commutes," the proposal explains. "A network of small, electric aircraft that take off and land vertically (called VTOL aircraft for Vertical Take-off and Landing, and pronounced vee-tol), will enable rapid, reliable transportation between suburbs and cities and, ultimately, within cities."

While these vehicles are not cars in the traditional sense of the word, as Uber sees them they will serve a similar function but without being tied to fixed routes (i.e. roads). And, of course, because it's Uber, the idea is that you'll never need to own one yourself. Rather, simply take the ride and walk away — leaving the ownership, piloting, and maintenance to someone else. What's more, the network, tentatively named "Elevate," would be accessible to all for about the cost of a current UberX ride.

Wired picked up the report, and notes that the idea isn't as crazy as it first sounds. Acknowledging issues such as battery life, vehicle safety, air-traffic control, and craft design, Uber’s product chief Jeff Holden told the publication that all of the challenges will solved sooner than you may think. “We’re just turning the corner now to make that possible,” he said. “Our intent is to help the industry get there faster.”

Just how fast? Uber sees a possible deployment of Elevate in some form or another just ten years from now.

According to experts polled by Wired, Uber's belief that electric vehicles capable of vertical takeoff and landing that can also fly 100 miles at 150 mph on a single charge can be designed and built within five years is actually correct. Uber says that they would not build the vehicles themselves, but hopes to encourage innovation in the flying-car industry they can then monetize.

Whether or not you'd want your typical UberX driver flying you somewhere is a different story altogether. Either way, the self-driving/flying future is coming at you quickly.

Related: Uber Teams Up With Airbus For New Helicopter Service

A federal judge based in San Francisco just approved a $15 billion settlement in the emission-cheating scandal that rocked the German-based car manufacturer Volkswagen. The Associated Press reports that this is the single largest settlement related to an auto-scandal in the history of the United States, and that it clears the way for roughly 475,000 VW and Audi owners to start the buyback process as soon as next week.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer signed the order today, bringing a saga that first came to light in September of 2015 one step closer to resolution. As the LA Times reports, the California Air Resources Board and the EPA determined last year that certain Volkswagen cars had software, called a "defeat device," that allowed the vehicles to detect when an emissions test was being run. When such a test was detected, the device reduced the amount of pollution emitted by the car. However, when a test wasn't being run the vehicles spewed up to 40 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxide.

The scandal caused VW's stock to plummet, and the BBC reports that the company's US head was forced to acknowledge how bad things were. "We've totally screwed up," said Michael Horn at the time.

VW dealers also went after the company, with the Times reporting earlier this month on a separate $1.2 billion settlement between the manufacturer and its US dealers.

According to NPR, today's settlement, which both allows car owners to sell vehicles back to Volkswagen and makes them eligible for payments between $5,100 and $10,000, also dictates the company pay nearly $5 billion to the US for environmental remediation.

Judge Breyer called the settlement "fair, adequate, and reasonable."

Related: Photo Du Jour: Too Slow? Too Bad!

Consumer Reports today called on Tesla to temporarily suspend its autopilot feature in all of its cars following the May death of an Ohio man who had the feature engaged at the time of his crash. Telsa CEO Elon Musk's response? Thanks, but no thanks.

"While we appreciate well-meaning advice from any individual or group, we make our decisions on the basis of real-world data, not speculation by media,” a Tesla spokesperson wrote to Consumer Reports.

The May death appears to have occurred when a tractor trailer turned across the highway in front of the oncoming Tesla. Neither the engaged autopilot mode, nor the driver, were able to stop in time. The vehicle crashed, and the driver died.

Consumer Report's critique is broader than what happened in just this one incident, however. The magazine finds fault with how Telsa marketed its beta autopilot feature, suggesting the language encourages unsafe behavior in drivers.

"In the long run, advanced active safety technologies in vehicles could make our roads safer," observed vice president of consumer policy and mobilization for Consumer Reports Laura MacCleery. "But today, we're deeply concerned that consumers are being sold a pile of promises about unproven technology. 'Autopilot' can't actually drive the car, yet it allows consumers to have their hands off the steering wheel for minutes at a time."

The magazine is asking the car company to do the following:

• "Disable Autosteer until it can be reprogrammed to require drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel"
  
• "Stop referring to the system as 'Autopilot' as it is misleading and potentially dangerous"
  
• "Issue clearer guidance to owners on how the system should be used and its limitations"
  
• "Test all safety-critical systems fully before public deployment; no more beta releases

Telsa is unlikely to do any of the above, and said it believes drivers using the autopilot feature are safer than those who do not. “Tesla is constantly introducing enhancements, proven over millions of miles of internal testing, to ensure that drivers supported by Autopilot remain safer than those operating without assistance," a spokesperson for the car company responded to Consumer Reports. "We will continue to develop, validate, and release those enhancements as the technology grows."

And Tesla may have a point — just so long as its drivers aren't using autopilot as an excuse to literally be asleep at the wheel.

Previously: Yet Another Tesla Crashes In Autopilot Mode, Company Blames Driver

A spot loved by locals and tourist alike underwent some changes today, as sections of the road surrounding Twin Peaks were made the exclusive domain of cyclists and pedestrians. The SFMTA plan to turn half of the figure-eight road surrounding Twin Peaks car-free has been in the works for a while now, and was officially approved this past April. Today is the first day the new rules are in effect, and driver confusion is to be expected.

As we noted previously, the pilot program turns the east side — the side facing downtown — into a pedestrian and cyclist only street while keeping the west side as a two lane road. Here's a handy visual aide:

The Chronicle did some man-on-the-street reporting, and spoke with both pedestrians and bus drivers who, as of today, are greeted with a new landscape after ascending the peaks.

“This is great,” San Francisco cyclist Wayne Puckett told the paper. “Anything that makes the road safer is great.”

Those thoughts were echoed by Las Vegas tourist and pedestrian Rosie Galarza. “Anything that can make you less scared of being run over is a good thing.”

Unsurprisingly, the tour bus drivers the publication spoke with didn't agree. Of note, however, is that tourists still have the same view — they just have to get out of the bus first. That's a sacrifice, we think, that most people will be OK making in the name of safety.

Previously: SFMTA Approves Controversial Twin Peaks Car Ban
New Rule Would Ban Cars From East Side Of Twin Peaks
Half of Twin Peaks Blvd. To Go Carless; You Can Decide Which Half

Multiple hit & run Lower Haight ends 435 Duboce. pic.twitter.com/JiiRtP8Qfg

— thelowerhaight (@LowerHaight) June 26, 2016

A multiple hit-and-run incident came to a crashing end Saturday evening, with Hoodline reporting that the driver eventually collided with a building before being arrested by police. This marked the fourth hit-and-run in four days following the two tragic deaths of cyclists, killed by hit-and-run drivers in two separate incidents, last Wednesday, and Thursday's North Beach hit-and-run.

According to multiple eye witness accounts, that Saturday's bizarre spree didn't leave any injuries is really just on account of luck — one tipster told the publication, for example, that the suspect's car was seen traveling the wrong way down Fell between Divisadero and Scott Street. Those familiar with that stretch will note it is part of a popular bike route.

After striking numerous cars, the driver appears to have run his red automobile into a building at Fillmore and Duboce Avenue. SFPD spokesperson Carlos Manfredi confirms that the suspect was arrested and taken to SF General.

Following the two deaths at the hands of drivers last Wednesday, KQED reports that in a Thursday morning press conference addressing pedestrian and cycling safety Mayor Ed Lee said that “These are totally avoidable tragedies."

These words didn't go over well with SF Bicycle Coalition communications director Chris Cassidy, who shared her opinion of the Mayor's speech with KQED. “I think what we heard this morning from city leaders was hollow words without any detail,” explained Cassidy. “The people of San Francisco deserve safer streets. That’s the end of the discussion."

According to police, the driver in Saturday's hit-and-run appeared to be drunk.

Related: Officials Pretend To Care About Cycling For 22nd Annual Bike To Work Day

While the Bay Area prides itself on being the best at a lot of things, having the most proficient car thieves is probably not something any of us are too excited about — on top of the fact that SF already tops the nation in per capita property crime and car break-ins. However, that is exactly where we find ourselves with the news that we are the number one spot for auto thefts in all of the United States. So reports CBS 5, which notes the National Insurance Crime Bureau tallied almost 90,000 vehicles stolen in the Bay Area from 2012 to 2014.

According to the Bureau, 2014 saw 29,093 auto thefts in the Bay Area alone. Ouch.

“On any day the hot sheet will probably have another 30-40 vehicles county wide that are added to it,” CHP investigator Mark Hinch told CBS. “The hot sheet is just the most recent vehicles, the last three or four days.”

Police apparently differentiate between different types of thefts, with some care stolen merely for quick "joy rides," others chopped up into parts for resale, and still others just straight up resold. “Just the sheer numbers,” observed Hinch. “So many cars are stolen and there are so many different cases you can work on.”

Hinch and other investigators often head to Oakland in search of the cars, as that is where many of them turn up. “Oakland is a hotspot for auto theft but it’s not necessarily where all the auto theft is happening,” Hinch noted. “But what has happened in the Oakland area is that a lot of the cars stolen from throughout the Bay Area end up in Oakland.”

According to the Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Task Force, certain cars are stolen more frequently than others — with the Honda Accord, the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Camry topping the list of the top ten most frequently stolen cars.

So what should you do if you find yourself the victim of a such a crime? Hinch says the best play is to look where stolen goods frequently turn up: Craigslist. "You are your own best detective."

Related: SF Now Has Highest Per Capita Property Crime Rate In The US