Police Say Car Thieves are Targeting SUVs in Oakville

Published September 19, 2019 at 7:11 pm

Halton police is investigating a number of recent vehicle thefts in the Town of Oakville.  

Halton police is investigating a number of recent vehicle thefts in the Town of Oakville.  

Police say that over the past three consecutive nights, car thieves have stolen six high-end SUVs from residential driveways.

The targeted vehicles were removed from residential driveways between the hours of 11:00 pm and 5:00 am, police say. 

According to police, the majority of the thefts are committed utilizing a relay device. The vehicles have no tracking capability from the manufacturer or dealership, making recovery difficult once the vehicle is stolen.

Police say that evidence suggests the suspects are approaching the residences on foot, and then utilizing a device to defeat the vehicle’s security systems. It appears that the technology used may be accessing the signal transmitted by the vehicle’s key fobs. Once inside the vehicle, the suspects are able to start the vehicle and drive away within minutes of their arrival at the residence.

The vehicles targeted by these suspect include 2017 to 2019 Lexus RX350, 2018 to 2019 Lexus GX460 and 2019 Toyota 4Runner​. 

Police are advising residents to park their vehicle within a locked and secure garage, as the majority of the vehicles are stolen from driveways. If a garage is not accessible, residents are advised to park another vehicle behind it in the driveway to act as a physical barrier to its removal.

Police are also asking SUV owners to lock the data port in the vehicle using a simple device that can be purchased online that blocks access through which thieves are able to reprogram the vehicle’s keys. People are also advised to have a GPS tracker installed on the vehicle. 

Police are also reminding people to lock their vehicles and ensure they do not leave the spare keys near the vehicle or outside of the house. 

Residents are also encouraged to consider purchasing a quality video surveillance system and ensuring the cameras are properly placed and functioning for 24-hour use.

Anyone with questions or information about these vehicle thefts is asked to contact Det. Omar Nadim at the 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 ext. 2278.

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