Armed thieves caught on video stealing Arizona man's truck
MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. - Having a wireless key fob for your car has its benefits, but a new trend in car theft is using the technology to unlock cars.
The thieves appear to be using a device to amplify the wireless signal from the fob and use that signal to unlock the car.
It just happened to at least two families in the west Valley neighborhood of Waddell. In one of the instances, the thieves were armed and aiming a rifle at a home.
"Shocked, you know? I can't believe this happened to me," resident Michael Florant said.
He woke up on Wednesday morning to a concerning message on his phone.
"I woke up this morning to an alert on my phone that my truck had been opened without the key, so I told my wife, and she said, ‘Well, I just saw an alert on the neighborhood social media that someone had their white truck stolen.’ So I came out, opened my garage door, and my truck was gone," Florant said.
Florant took a look at his Ring camera footage from overnight and saw four people in what appeared to be a white Chevy Camaro pull up to his house just before 2:30 a.m., disable his horn, and steal his GMC truck.
"They were gone in five minutes. The one who disabled the horn is the one that had the AK-47, pointing in this direction, in case I were to come out," Florant said. "They didn't care if they got caught, didn't care if they were on camera, the camera was right above where they were. The lights, they were lit up and filmed the whole time. They were hooded, gloves, the whole works."
Ring video footage shared by another resident in the area shows their truck being stolen from their driveway within minutes of the theft at Florant's home.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office confirmed its investigating the theft and while Florant is not overly optimistic that his truck will turn up, he says he wants other residents to be warned of this trend.
"I really wish that I had purchased an aftermarket tracking device, so I recommend everyone do that, because that's not something they would look for," Florant said.
Florant also gave advice to residents who may see a theft taking place on security cameras and may consider confronting the thieves.
"If you have video footage, and you see it happening, just make sure you're recording and it's not worth it honestly. It's just stuff," he said.
Storing your key fob in a faraday bag or using a physical steering wheel lock can help you guard your vehicle from theft. It's also a good idea to stay up with how technology can be used as a tool in these thefts.