Patient Car Thieves Targeting Big Trucks, SUVs
By LITA BECK
Updated 9:11 AM CST, Thu, Nov 5, 2009
Dallas police say car thieves have found a way to determine if big trucks and sport utility vehicles have satellite-tracking systems: patience.
Police said thieves are targeting super-sized trucks and SUVs -- especially Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks.
"These are nice cars and trucks; the big utility trucks, the huge ones, is what they are taking," Senior Cpl. Janice Crowther said.
The thieves park the stolen vehicles in large parking lots for several hours or even several days and then wait to see if the cars are equipped with a satellite-tracking device such as OnStar or LoJack.
"If the police don't come get it, they assume that it doesn't have this tracking device, and they head straight to the Mexican border with it, or they strip it for parts," Crowther said.
Police said a number of the stolen vehicles have been recovered near the U.S.-Mexican border.
Investigators say thieves are using new techniques to steal the vehicles that leave very little visible damage to the car, as Comisha and Larry Stephens discovered. They only had their 2005 H2 for a month before it was stolen.
"We kind of figured they were experts, because they didn't even break the glass on the car," Comisha Stephens said. "There was no glass. It had to be experts."
The Stephens said they will have better security on their next vehicle.
"By the grace of God, I'd like to get me another one," Larry Stephens said.
Dallas police say anyone who sees a car parked for an extended period of time, especially a big Ford truck, should call police.
First Published: Nov 4, 2009 10:59 PM CST
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