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Fresh technology makes it lighter to steal cars – even when doors are locked
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Teenagers went from driveway to driveway in Hillsborough County, rummaging through cars and stealing three vehicles. The thefts occurred in Ruskin and Apollo Beach over the weekend. Home movie caught the crooks in act.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says all but one of the car owners left the doors unlocked. “There were approximately twenty vehicle burglaries and three stolen vehicles,” Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. “About ninety percent of our vehicle burglaries are unlocked vehicles.”
However News Channel eight talked with a victim who has no doubt he locked his vehicles’ doors. David Hernandez was hit twice in the same night in his Ruskin neighborhood. His truck stolen was stolen, and his wifey’s car was ransacked. Hernandez has a newer truck with a keyless ignition, and his key fob was all the way inwards his house.
“My truck was locked. My white car was locked, also,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez and several of his neighbors are persuaded the crooks are using technology you can lightly find online. “This is permanently sending out a signal to your vehicle so if you have a signal booster and you can get them anywhere, all they have to do is stand out here,” Hernandez’s neighbor Ron Langhans said.
Sgt. Matt Pederson works on an auto theft task force out of the Dallas area. Pederson told News Channel eight the crooks have a fresh instrument most law enforcement don’t even know about.
“It absolutely is happening,” he said by phone.
Here’s how it works. If you have a keyless ignition, your vehicle is permanently looking for your key fob. This way it knows when you’re inwards the vehicle.
Pederson told News Channel eight criminals can use a device to boost that signal, permitting the vehicle to read a key fob inwards your residence.
“Fool the car into thinking that they may be holding on to a fob that is communicating with the car in which case the doors get unlocked,” Pederson explained.
But, when News Channel eight asked the sheriff’s office about this possibility, Carter said detectives had “never heard of that system.”
“I don’t think that there’s necessarily a global awareness with law enforcement because it does seem to be a fairly fresh trend,” Pederson said.
That’s why eight On Your Side gave the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Pederson’s number. We also checked with deputies in Pinellas and Polk counties. Both said they have not investigated any key fob car thefts or break-ins.
Data specialist says the technology is effortless to access
“I think it costs about $32 to make,” said Dwayne Denny with the Data Specialist Group.
Denny said this is nothing fresh. There are many methods, some of which take less than a minute.
“It will grab any signal and if looking for the right signal, I believe key fobs are on like three hundred seventy five or something like that. It can grab that signal and then they can use that to reprogram the device or retransmit that signal,” Denny explained.
The question now is whether this happening under detective’s noses.
“They’re using something to do it because that was the very first question the cop asked me, if my truck was unlocked and how they drove it. I said, ‘You tell me,’” Hernandez said.
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St. Pete optimistic that Irma won’t trigger repeat of catastrophic sewage spills
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Weather
Current Conditions
- Feels Like: 92° F
- Wind: SW Five
- Humidity: 51%
- Dewpoint: 68° F
- Sunrise: 7:Ten AM
- Sunset: 7:46 PM
Tampa Bay Weather
8 On Your Side
Latest Headlines
St. Pete optimistic that Irma won’t trigger repeat of catastrophic sewage spills
After spilling or dumping around two hundred million gallons of sewage during storm events last year, the last thing the City of St. Petersburg need…
Tampa Bay area residents scramble to stock up on water; shelves cleared in seconds
Residents were packing into grocery stores and warehouse club stores Tuesday morning.
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Sports
Featured:
Latest Headlines
Winston is certain Bucs can end long playoff drought
Jameis Winston isn’t content with re-energizing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Dickerson homers, doubles twice as Rays rout Twins 11-4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Corey Dickerson hit his 26th home run and also doubled twice, powering the Tampa Bay Rays past the Minnesota Twi…
AP source: NFL considers moving Bucs game against Dolphins due to Irma
Buccaneers bolster secondary, sign ex-Broncos S T.J. Ward
Rays suffer 6-2 loss to White Sox
Fresh technology makes it lighter to steal cars – even when doors are locked
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Teenagers went from driveway to driveway in Hillsborough County, rummaging through cars and stealing three vehicles. The thefts occurred in Ruskin and Apollo Beach over the weekend. Home movie caught the crooks in act.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says all but one of the car owners left the doors unlocked. “There were approximately twenty vehicle burglaries and three stolen vehicles,” Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. “About ninety percent of our vehicle burglaries are unlocked vehicles.”
However News Channel eight talked with a victim who has no doubt he locked his vehicles’ doors. David Hernandez was hit twice in the same night in his Ruskin neighborhood. His truck stolen was stolen, and his wifey’s car was ransacked. Hernandez has a newer truck with a keyless ignition, and his key fob was all the way inwards his house.
“My truck was locked. My white car was locked, also,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez and several of his neighbors are coaxed the crooks are using technology you can lightly find online. “This is permanently sending out a signal to your vehicle so if you have a signal booster and you can get them anywhere, all they have to do is stand out here,” Hernandez’s neighbor Ron Langhans said.
Sgt. Matt Pederson works on an auto theft task force out of the Dallas area. Pederson told News Channel eight the crooks have a fresh device most law enforcement don’t even know about.
“It absolutely is happening,” he said by phone.
Here’s how it works. If you have a keyless ignition, your vehicle is permanently looking for your key fob. This way it knows when you’re inwards the vehicle.
Pederson told News Channel eight criminals can use a device to boost that signal, permitting the vehicle to read a key fob inwards your residence.
“Fool the car into thinking that they may be holding on to a fob that is communicating with the car in which case the doors get unlocked,” Pederson explained.
But, when News Channel eight asked the sheriff’s office about this possibility, Carter said detectives had “never heard of that system.”
“I don’t think that there’s necessarily a global awareness with law enforcement because it does seem to be a fairly fresh trend,” Pederson said.
That’s why eight On Your Side gave the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Pederson’s number. We also checked with deputies in Pinellas and Polk counties. Both said they have not investigated any key fob car thefts or break-ins.
Data specialist says the technology is effortless to access
“I think it costs about $32 to make,” said Dwayne Denny with the Data Specialist Group.
Denny said this is nothing fresh. There are many methods, some of which take less than a minute.
“It will grab any signal and if looking for the right signal, I believe key fobs are on like three hundred seventy five or something like that. It can grab that signal and then they can use that to reprogram the device or retransmit that signal,” Denny explained.
The question now is whether this happening under detective’s noses.
“They’re using something to do it because that was the very first question the cop asked me, if my truck was unlocked and how they drove it. I said, ‘You tell me,’” Hernandez said.
WHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON RIGHT NOW:
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