We’ve noticed a disturbing trend with car theft in the past few years. Not only are the rates going up in many parts of North America and elsewhere, thieves are becoming far more aggressive. This has fueled a rise in violent carjackings as well as criminals stealing cars from dealerships and other businesses in broad daylight. That’s exactly what happened at a dealership in west Houston, Texas recently, the thieves making off with an expensive Ram TRX.
This is why you don’t tailgate other drivers.
Surveillance footage shows a Cadillac come onto the lot, something that’s pretty brazen considering the lot is outfitted with cameras and plate readers, so the stolen vehicle was identified automatically. The plate reader service called the dealership to alert them to the situation, but it was too late.
Working fast, the guys in the Caddie tried stealing two vehicles parked in the service area. One wouldn’t start because it was having engine problems – probably why it was there. However, they were able to pull out the driver’s-side rear window and climb into the truck, all while an employee was walking only a hundred feet or so away.
Like we’ve seen so many times, these guys came prepared to reprogram the truck’s ignition. This trick is often used on Dodge muscle cars, especially the high-end models. While Dodge has issued some security updates to prevent these types of thefts, we’re not sure if the Ram TRX had any such provisions installed.
When thieves are this brazen, they’ve usually been through the system and realize most judges and prosecutors treat car theft case with kid gloves. That’s too bad because it actually helps fuel more crime. And these guys capitalized on the lack of vigilance at the dealership, which didn’t even realize the Ram TRX was missing until “a few days later.”
Guaranteed these guys will continue pulling off stunts like this one because it’s profitable and shockingly easy.
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