As Chevy Camaro thefts skyrocket more than 1000% in L.A., police unlock a secret of car thieves

As Chevy Camaro thefts skyrocket more than 1000% in L.A., police unlock a secret of car thieves


https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-02-29/chevy-camaro-thefts-skyrocket-lapd-suspects-a-boy-with-clone-fobs



The Chevy Camaro muscle car sitting abandoned at a South L.A. intersection looked suspicious enough.

But then LAPD gang detail investigators spotted two teenagers running from the scene near Slauson Avenue and Broadway and were able to stop them.

One of the youths was carrying an electronic device that police said provides a window into why thefts of the popular Camaros have shot up by more than 1000% in L.A. this year, with 90 vehicles stolen since the beginning of the year. Police said the spike comes at a time when there are increasing numbers of the high-powered vehicles turning up at street takeovers.

The device is essentially a hand-held computer that enables the user to create a replacement smart key — using a new key fob — that can unlock Camaros and other vehicles, bypassing the vehicle’s existing security system, investigators said. Once the user punches in the make, model and year of the vehicle into the computer, it is then able to reprogram the car’s ignition system and generate a new or universal car key.