LONG BEACH, Calif. (WTVR) -- Some car thieves across the country are going high-tech.
Recently released surveillance video showed some thieves simply walking up to cars and unlocking the doors with some electronic device.
“I was like whoa. You see this guy walking back and forth in front of the car,” said Steven Doi, whose car’s computer system was hacked. “Sure enough, in the video, you can hear the door locks go, 'plop.'”
Police said that in just 18 seconds the crook emptied out $3,000 worth of electronics.
Police in California and Chicago said they have seen more of these cases, but have not been able to figure out just what the device is that's being used in these break-ins.
“The ease that this is working and the frequency we're seeing it reported throughout the U.S., means it's only become a greater problem,” said Mike Bender with ICW Group Insurance Company.
However, the mystery may soon be solved after officers in Texas confiscated what appears to be one of these boxes. They are testing it to see if it is the same device used in the car thefts.
