Autoblog

Carjacker who can't drive stick gets ride from victim

Chris Tutor — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

Note to budding carjackers: Learn to drive a stick shift before heading out to boost a car.

Note to potential carjacking victims: If the thief can't drive a stick, run away and call the cops.

Unfortunately our advice is a little too late for a couple of guys in St. Louis. According to the Associated Press, on Sunday, a motorist was approached in his vehicle by an armed man, who ordered him to move to the passenger seat and demanded his money. The victim handed over $24, at which point the would-be carjacker tried to drive off in the car. Unfortunately for the miscreant (who is obviously not an Autoblog reader), he was totally stymied by the manual transmission.

Either not wanting to get shot or in an effort to save his clutch, the victim reportedly offered to drive the bad guy to his destination. It was either a genius move or there's more to the story than we know.

Either way, when the robber exited the car, he was at least polite enough to thank the guy for a ride. Who says you can't point guns at folks, take their money and still be nice?

Carjacker who can't drive stick gets ride from victim originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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California "dominates" list of cities with most stolen cars

Chris Tutor — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

The city where your car is most likely to be stolen is in California. In fact, the top three cities are in California, and of the top 10, six are in that state. So says a report by Forbes that compares the number of stolen cars per 100,000 population.

Using that ratio, Fresno, California, with 808 stolen cars per 100,000 people and a total of 7,621 stolen cars in 2011, ranks number one in the nation. In second place is Modesto; third is occupied by Bakersfield.

For fourth and fifth, we have to travel north to Spokane and Yakima Washington. The remaining cities are all in the Golden State except for Anderson, S.C. at number eight. With a population of about 27,000, Anderson (nickname: The Friendliest City in South Carolina) had 911 cars stolen in 2011, giving it a score of 483.32.

See the full list of cities below.

Continue reading California "dominates" list of cities with most stolen cars

California "dominates" list of cities with most stolen cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Judge gives car thief break, thief gives judge's car a break-in

Chris Shunk — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Humor

Stealing cars is (obviously) against the law, and getting caught usually translates into a significant prison term. We're guessing the crime is just a bit stiffer if you're caught attempting to swipe the ride of a judge, especially if you just left her court room.

SF Gate reports that Judge Lillian Sing had just finished giving convicted felon Phillip Bernard a break after he missed some probation requirements when the gentleman walked out of the court room and used a weighted sock to smash a car window in the court parking lot. Of course, it happened to be the judge's vehicle, and Bernard timed his malfeasance so that two police officers just happened to be walking by when the incident occurred. We're guessing the move was either a string of complete stupidity or the 32-year-old homeless man actually wanted to go back to jail.

It should come as no surprise that Bernard is back behind bars and we're guessing the good judge probably won't be so lenient the next time she sees him.

Judge gives car thief break, thief gives judge's car a break-in originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exotic car rental company owner uses GPS to thwart international auto theft ring

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, China, Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Ferrari, Luxury

Watching television news can be depressing. Between the political rancor of election season and the "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality of most news directors, positive stories are scarce. But here's one that should make any lover of fine automobiles pleased.

The story, as reported by CBS This Morning, starts when the owner of a Los Angeles-based rental car company that specializes in exotics and luxury cars noticed that one of his vehicles was uncharacteristically sitting still for a few days after being rented. The $2,000-per-day 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia was equipped with a GPS tracking system, and the Italian Stallion's lack of use made Eric Blumberg suspicious. So he notified the police, who eventually found the car - in Hong Kong. It had been shipped through the Port of Los Angeles, labeled as "used fitness equipment," according to the Los Angeles Times.

It seems that the would-be joyrider who had "rented" the Ferrari was part of an international crime syndicate worthy of a screenplay, according to the CBS report. When the police investigated further, they found between 15 and 20 other vehicles that were being loaded into shipping containers and exported to Asia, a total of $1.5 million worth of four-wheeled loot.

The investigators told CBS that the vehicles can command up to twice their value overseas. While no arrests have yet been made in the case, at least these cars now have a chance of being returned to their rightful owners.

Scroll down to watch the full report.

Continue reading Exotic car rental company owner uses GPS to thwart international auto theft ring

Exotic car rental company owner uses GPS to thwart international auto theft ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Richmond police will now wake you up at night if you leave valuables in your car [w/poll]

Zach Bowman — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Videos

We don't envy local law enforcement, especially in a city like Richmond, Virginia. Charged with keeping the public safe from a variety of ill forces, the job is about as thankless as they come. Recently, the RPD has adopted a new initiative in an attempt to curb vehicle break-ins. Officers on the night shift now check vehicles for valuables left in plain sight, and when they find them, the police stop by the vehicle's owner's home for a little chat. All of these "wake up calls" are most likely to occur between midnight and 4:00 a.m. in order to teach car owners a lesson about protecting themselves from crime.

While removing or stashing high-dollar electronics before leaving your car parked overnight may seem like simple common sense, critics of the plan suggest that punishing those who refuse or forget to do so with a late-night wake-up call is beyond the scope of law enforcement - particularly as it applies to vehicles parked on private property. Watch the WBBC 12 NBC local news report on the initiative by scrolling below, then voice your opinion in our poll and in Comments.

View Poll

Continue reading Richmond police will now wake you up at night if you leave valuables in your car [w/poll]

Richmond police will now wake you up at night if you leave valuables in your car [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video]

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Government/Legal, Ford

We'd guess a thief's favorite Ford Mustang is whichever one he happens to be hooning around in - ahead of either illegally selling it, stripping it for parts or falsifying its VIN to pass it off as a legit car. But the 'Stang that's attracted the most attention from this scourge of society is none other than the 2000 Mustang.

While we're not sure what it is about the venerable Ford pony car in that model year that's caused it to rise to the top of the inaugural National Insurance Crime Bureau "Hot Wheels Classics" report on Mustangs, we are finding the study to be compelling reading. Who knew that 411,155 Mustangs have been stolen since 1981? The report is similar to NICB's annual report on the most stolen cars, but focused on just Mustang thefts, with data dating all the way back to 1964. Apparently NICB got the idea to do a Mustang-centric report after being asked for data from MustangEvolution last year.

Even more interesting than the report, however, is that NICB has also posted a six-minute documentary about how it helped reunite a Shelby GT350 with its rightful owner some 25 years after the car had been stolen. While not exactly part of the report, the video is a pretty cool showpiece for the nonprofit group that investigates car theft and insurance fraud.

To read the full press release and check out the NICB's video, click past the jump.

Continue reading Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video]

Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Domestics make gains on unfortunate list... 10 Most Stolen Cars

Zach Bowman — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Domestic automakers have outpaced their import counterparts on the top ten list of most stolen vehicles for the first time since 2002. According to a new report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Ford vehicles took three places on the Most Stolen Vehicles of 2010 list, while two Chevrolet and two Dodge models also made the cut. To be fair, only the 1999 Chevrolet full-size pickup (read: Silverado) and 1997 Ford F-150 broke into the top five - those models landed themselves in fourth and fifth place, respectively. The podium spots go to the 1994 Honda Accord in first, the 1995 Honda Civic in second and the 1991 Toyota Camry in third.

Even though thieves seem to have cultivated a taste for domestic models, vehicle theft on the whole has continued to decline. NICB says that early FBI crime statistics for 2010 indicated a substantial 7.2 percent decrease in stolen vehicles over 2009. Once verified, that will give 2010 the honor of being the year with the fewest stolen vehicles since 1967. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading Domestics make gains on unfortunate list... 10 Most Stolen Cars

Domestics make gains on unfortunate list... 10 Most Stolen Cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lock Those Doors: New Year's Day the worst holiday for stolen cars?

Dan Roth — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

Maybe it's the mass inebriation that makes it easier, but New Year's Eve is apparently hottest holiday for car theft. If the whole world is already sleeping it off, there's no way anybody is going to pay heed to your stupid alarm, perhaps.

As proof, our corporate cousins at AOL Autos breaks down the car theft rates for various holidays, and New Year's bookends the list of eleven days. While New Year's Eve is relatively quiet, New Year's Day is three times as active. The second-most active car theft day? Labor Day - again, another event that tends to involve plenty of imbibing and a good dose of "hey, watch this." With Halloween in third, it would be interesting to see how many of these thefts were mere joyrides, and how many were determined thieves looking for 1994 Honda Accords (the most stolen car last year) to feed the chop shops.

Many cars are easily stolen because of a lack of owner vigilance. Things like leaving your keys inside the car, even if it's just at home, are about the same as a blinking neon sign on the roof saying "steal me." Josh Max works up a good list of Dos and Don'ts - and if you don't want your car stolen this New Year's season, AOL Autos has tips, whatever the reason.

[Source: AOL Autos | Image: Tuppus - C.C. License 2.0]

Lock Those Doors: New Year's Day the worst holiday for stolen cars? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bogus car hauler stealing luxury autos from dealers in several states?

Dan Roth — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:34:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Classics, Auctions, Government/Legal

Luxury cars are nice. Most people would consider some kind of sacrifice to own one, while others plant their behinds in Corinthian Leather through ill-gotten gains. When something is desirable, there's no end to the scheming. The latest tactic for driving luxe without earning it is pretty blatant: just show up and take it! Automotive News reports that the FBI is currently looking into an operation that's using the identity of Atlas Towing and Recovery of Illinois, a real, legitimate business, to take luxury vehicles right out from under the noses of dealerships.

The false haulers are apparently showing up at dealers and picking up cars using Atlas Towing's credentials, causing the National Auto Auction Association to send out a warning. Over the summer, Manheim Auto Auctions also got hit with a fake car hauler, and that operation is believed to be connected to the more recent activity. Dealers have been warned to notify the authorities if anyone posing as Atlas Towing and Recovery comes calling and and tries to pick up vehicles. It is pretty slick, though, showing up with a truck and an air of official-ness. Points for cleverness, but it's likely not clever enough to avoid capture eventually.

[Source: Automotive News - sub req, | Image: BringATrailer]

Bogus car hauler stealing luxury autos from dealers in several states? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: FBI busts up $25M car cloning ring

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:56:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, Safety

The Federal Bureau of Investigations has shut down a car theft ring operating in the U.S. for more than 20 years, causing in excess of $25 million in losses to owners and banks. According to CNN, the ring would clone cars, swiping the legal identity of one car - VIN numbers, tags, stickers -- and applying it to another, stolen car. The cloned car would then be sold to a dealer or consumer, and the countdown would begin: Eventually, most would be discovered as stolen property and confiscated, but the buyer would remain on the hook for the money owed.

For example, a man in Florida bought a Ford F-350 Super Duty for $27,000 last year from a used car dealer. Nine months later, it was tracked down and confiscated, but the bank has told the owner that he's still on the hook for the loan for a vehicle he no longer has.

Although the FBI admonishes, "Folks should be educated enough so that they don't buy a car from a stranger, on the street, or in a back alley somewhere," that might be a bit much, and the Super Duty owner bought the car at a used car lot. All kinds of private and public buyers have been taken, so do all of the research you can, and definitely don't buy your car in a back alley somewhere - the FBI got that much right! Hot tip, Jan.

Have you ever suffered an automobile-related theft? Take our poll after the jump!

[Source: CNN]

Continue reading REPORT: FBI busts up $25M car cloning ring

REPORT: FBI busts up $25M car cloning ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cars being stolen in Scotland and returned before morning

Chris Tutor — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

If you car comes up missing here in the U.S., you probably don't want it back once the thieves are done with it. Over in Scotland, they do things differently, even illegal things. Police say someone in southeast Scotland's Borders area is sneaking into houses, taking car keys and going for rides in the homeowners' cars. In this country, that'd be the end of it until the police found your Malibu up on cinder blocks in a bad neighborhood. The Scottish twist, however, is that the next morning all these cars are right where they were parked the day before. The burglar has struck at least eight times, and so far, only one car has ended up crashed.

The only things that tip people their car has been stolen are finding their keys in strange places and discovering more miles on their odometers. Sometimes lots of miles. Until the thief is nabbed, we recommend the Scottish keep their tanks empty and their keys on the nightstand.

[Source: BBC via PistonHeads]

Cars being stolen in Scotland and returned before morning originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Building a better mousetrap: Hi-tech cars deter thieves

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 18:35:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Somewhere in a metropolis near you, an unassuming vehicle sits and waits. The vehicle is a bait car, left by the police, in a large-scale effort to halt the rise of would-be criminals in your area. One city instituting such a policy is Minneapolis and by most accounts, it's a success.

The vehicles are left in urban areas that are frequently the scene of vehicle break-ins and thefts. The car itself is a rolling sound stage, filled with both video and audio surveillance. Along with recording all the action inside and outside the vehicle, they've equipped their decoy with a GPS unit, a remote engine-kill switch and a host of other electronics to keep tabs on the location and condition of the their vehicle.

Eventually, someone yields to the temptation and find themselves in the back of a squad car. Not quite the ride they were hoping to score.

The focus on stolen vehicles is at the urging of not only the public, but also the insurance industry. Some figures suggest that the average motorist pays a premium upwards of $200-300 per year, to cover the cost of break-ins to themselves and other drivers. Since approximately one-third of all auto insurance claims are the result of theft, it's a problem that almost all drivers have a stake in and proactive programs like this in Minneapolis may be the beginning of a sea change in certain areas.

[Source: TechNewsWorld]

Building a better mousetrap: Hi-tech cars deter thieves originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Sep 2006 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indian authorities shut down Hardest Working Man in Auto Smuggling

Chris Paukert — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 15:06:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

In India, car smugglers are apparently a good deal more patient than we can ever recall hearing of in the States. In a case that's less 'Gone in Sixty Seconds' and more 'Gone in Sixty Hours', a man named Ramadoss made it his m.o. to purchase vehicles in Malaysia and Singapore, then dismantle them piece by piece, shipping them to his operation in Chennai (formerly Madras), where he would reassemble them. Doing so saved Ramadoss a mint on customs charges, as he had to pay just 20-25 percent (versus a stifling 118 percent tax). Of course, a bit of elbow grease was required to make money - Ramadoss and his crew sliced up everything, including chassis and bodies using laser cutters, only to re-weld them together at his garages in Chennai for sale to unsuspecting customers.

A police raid of the man's all-too-literal chop-shop turned up 17 vehicles, including everything from a MINI Cooper to a Mitsubishi GTO (read: '3000GT') and an unspecified Mercedes-Benz.

No word yet on what fate will befall the Hardest Working Man in Auto Smuggling, but he has admitted to his crimes and made some financial reparations.

[Source: Mumbai Mirror]

Indian authorities shut down Hardest Working Man in Auto Smuggling originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jun 2006 15:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.S. auto theft declines, heads west

Stuart Waterman — Wed, 10 May 2006 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Trends

The National Insurance Crime Bureau had good news and bad news for U.S. car owners Tuesday - the good news is that theft rates were down 2.1 percent in the first half of 2005 compared to 2004, marking the second straight year of theft decline. The bad news? If you live in the West, you're in car thief heaven.

In 2005, the ten metropolitan areas with the worst auto theft records were west of the Rockies, with California laying claim to six of the top ten. Here's the full list:
   1. Modesto, CA
   2. Las Vegas/Paradise, NV
   3. Stockton, CA
   4. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ
   5. Visalia/Porterville, CA
   6. Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, WA
   7. Sacramento/Arden-Arcade/Roseville, CA
   8. San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA
   9. Fresno, CA
10. Yakima, WA

As you might expect, the NICB has recommendations to help you hang on to your ride, including the use of warning and immobilizing devices. You can read about their "layered approach" to protection here.

If your city didn't make the top ten, you can find out where it ranks and how many vehicles were boosted last year by checking the NICB web site, here.

U.S. auto theft declines, heads west originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 May 2006 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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