Police warn of new method for car thieves across tri-state area
Car thieves have been using electronic key programming devices, which are normally used by shops to make spare keys.
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Police in Stamford, Connecticut recently put out a public safety bulletin, warning of the growing trend of car thieves using electronic key programming devices to break into cars and even steal them.
That may have been what happened in July in Westchester County, where video obtained exclusively by News 12 shows someone casually walking from car to car on Woodside Avenue in West Harrison, opening the doors, going through them and even driving off in one.
"Kind of like Santa Claus, except they're taking instead of giving," laughed Stacy Marinelli, who had several hundred dollars worth of sunglasses stolen from her car. "You just feel violated."
While some neighbors admitted to leaving their cars unlocked that night, video from Frank Marano's house shows the lights flash on his car when the person gets close, before they go in through his passenger door.
"The passenger's side won't open up, just the drivers side opens up, I literally have to push the button," he explained. "Everything was open - they have to use either the key, or some other device to open it up."
Stamford police say these electric key programming devices had been used mainly by technicians to make spare keys, but recently, have become easier and easier for anyone to get their hands on.
"In the old days, you had an old car, you just lock the doors, (that) would never work," said Marano.
"Criminals are very smart today, they should use this for good things," added Marinelli. "If you can rob cars and stop ring cams, and break into cars, you can do a lot better in the world."
Stamford police say that to stay safe from them devices, people should not keep anything valuable in their car and park inside whenever possible.
Beyond that, they recommend getting a port lock, which physically blocks the keyhole, or a steering wheel lock, as well as putting an air tag or other sort of GPS tracker on your car in case anything does happen to it.
"My husband actually does a check every night," says Marinelli about how things have changed since her car was broken in to.
Marano is a little more skeptical.
"I've been around a long time, these things don't really deter, they just slow them down," says Marano.
At least in the Harrison case, police to believe they caught the thieves, arresting Jahmilla Meade, from the Bronx, and Michael Ramos, from Staten Island.
