LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Brandon Cundiff saved for years to buy the car of his dreams. By Friday morning, all that remained in his driveway was shattered glass from a busted window.
Cundiff just moved into a new condo with his kids four days earlier.Â
"I have at least $2,000 worth of damage, and now I'm to the point where it's a choice between furniture or fixing my vehicle," he said.
Luckily, less than an hour after discovering the 2018 Dodge Charger RT had been stolen, a Good Samaritan found where the vehicle had been ditched. Cundiff filed a report with police and then discovered a computer device dangling from the glove box when he went to retrieve the car.
"It tricks the computer into thinking it's engaged," Cundiff explained. "So, it gives them the opportunity to reset the key.
Cundiff couldn't dodge the new crime trend, and others are getting hit, too.
Louisville Metro Police are warning residents about a rise in Dodge vehicle thefts. LMPD data from June shows there were around 45 reports of vehicle thefts and break-ins. In July, the number of reports have jumped to around 90 already.
"There's been some reports from the community that people are taking pictures of their VINs on their Dodges in their driveways," said LMPD Sgt. Matt Sanders. "We want to get ahead of that now before we have another Kia situation."
According to experts, suspects are taking photos of VIN numbers on vehicles late at night. They are then making digital keys to that specific vehicle before returning and stealing it.
If you see this happening, or have a doorbell camera or security camera that may have captured it happening, LMPD asks that you share the footage with them so they can watch for the suspects trying to come back.
"We're looking for video surveillance of those people," Sgt. Sanders said. "If you see a cluster of kids that don't live in your neighborhood, they get out of one car like a clown car, and they start walking, taking pictures of cars in the driveway, that's something we need to know about."
Commonwealth Dodge on Preston Highway has witnessed the thieves target more specific models like the Charger, Challenger and Durango.
"They're using some type of device to scan the VIN number and create a digital key, especially since a lot of the vehicles now are push start or remote starts," said Marquis Williams, the dealership's finance director.
After being the victim of a few of the Dodge thefts, the dealership took steps to combat the crime. Removing certain fuses will eliminate the ability for the criminals to access to the car.
Commonwealth Dodge on Preston Highway has been the victim of numerous thefts. (WDRB image)
Williams encouraged customers to inquire about additional protections, and he encouraged the thieves to find something better to do.
"To these criminals, my message is, get creative in finding a job," he said. "If you can get creative to steal a vehicle, there are options for you other than stealing the vehicle."
Although many recent vehicles were stolen by thieves who made new key fobs, LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey said most of the cars reported stolen in Louisville were left unlocked.Â
"Far more cars are stolen because people leave their keys in their car," Humphrey said in a news briefing on July 23. "They leave the key fobs in their cars. They leave guns in cars. They leave their cars unlocked. That is a far bigger issue than the key fob re-keying."
Humphrey said the stolen cars are often taken for joyrides or used in crimes before being sold for scrap or abandoned.Â
Tips and information in the thefts, or any active crime case in the city, can be reported to LMPD's anonymous Crime Tip Line at (502) 574-LMPD (5673). Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the department's online Crime Tip Portal by clicking here.
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Louisville police report uptick in stolen cars, especially Dodge vehicles
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'Nothing left' | Man's car stripped bare after he says thieves stole it from Louisville's airport
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