Victim speaks out after pickup truck stolen in string of Kitchener truck thefts
Waterloo Regional Police have issued a warning after three vehicles were stolen using relay and reprogramming technology.
Police said sometime overnight between Aug. 5 and Aug. 6, three separate addresses in south Kitchener had parked vehicles stolen.
All three incidents involved the theft of a Dodge Ram Pickup.
According to police, the vehicles were all newer model, high-end vehicles with keyless entry and push button start technology.
James Chandler had his truck stolen from his driveway on Bechtel Drive, after only getting it seven months ago.
“I woke up in the morning, made a coffee, looked out the window and went 'where's my truck? It's gone,"' Chandler said.
Using relay technology, police say a suspect or suspects can detect a key fob signal from inside a house and transfer it outside in order to unlock, start and steal the vehicle.
But Chandler says he was using a storage box for his keys which blocks out signals in cases like this.
“All my keys are always in the Faraday box. That just goes to show if they want it, they're going to get it,” said Chandler.
And the suspects did, in fact, get it. Police say reprogramming technology was also used in this string of thefts. By breaking into a truck, they can use a device to access vehicle diagnostics in order to program a blank key fob.
“All my work tools were in there. Everything I needed for my job was in that truck. Not only my kid's seat and stroller and all that stuff, but I had all my work tools,” Chandler said.
Now he is wondering if it’s even worth buying the same type of truck he originally fell in love with.
“Might not even buy another Ram because I'm afraid if I buy one in two weeks to a month it's going to be gone.”
How does relay vehicle theft work?
The suspect will approach a residence and use technology to find a key fob signal from inside a residence. The technology allows the suspects to remain outside the residence to amplify and transfer the key fob signal in order to unlock, start and steal the vehicle. The theft of the vehicle typically goes undetected until the morning when the owner discovers the vehicle has been stolen and they are still in possession of the key fob.
How does reprogramming vehicle theft work?
The suspects will approach the vehicle and force entry inside. Once inside the vehicle, an electronic device is used to access the vehicle’s diagnostics. The suspects then reprogram a blank key fob so the vehicle can be started.
How to protect your vehicle from a Relay or Reprogramming Theft?
Make your vehicle more secure with the following prevention tips:
- Park your vehicle inside a locked and secure garage.
- Block the access to the onboard diagnostic port to prevent thieves from reprograming the vehicle’s key fob.
- Use a steering wheel locking device to deter theft.
- When not in use, place the vehicle key fob inside a radio frequency shielding bag/pouch to block cell signals.
- Consider equipping your vehicle with an aftermarket global positioning system (GPS) tracker. The tracker may assist police in locating the vehicle and/or suspects.
- Ensure all keys are accounted for and never left in the vehicle or unattended.
- Lock your vehicle at all times.
- Never leave your vehicle running and unattended.
- Consider purchasing a surveillance system and ensure the quality and function will capture any suspicious activity for a 24 hour period.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.