Thief uses screwdriver to make off with truck in north Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- In less than 25 seconds, a crook broke into and made off with a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado in north Houston.
In video of the theft near the area of I-45 and Gulf Bank, you can see a white truck pull up in front of the victim's home and a man quickly hop out and get to work.
He broke the door lock, then started up the engine with just a screwdriver.
"I've heard of people using tools to lock 'em, pop 'em, and stuff - hotwiring it. But never like that," said the victim, who did not want to reveal his name or identity.
He walked us through how the burglar may have made off with his property.
"All they did was just push this in," he said demonstrating with a screwdriver. "And then, with something, they turned it, and they started the truck without tearing anything else up, using a flathead."
According to Houston police, you're 10 times more likely to be a victim of auto theft if your vehicle is a 2008 model or older.
Car companies rolled out key fobs in 2008, which made vehicles harder to steal.
Not only did the thieves rip out the door panels of the Silverado, they stole the rims, the flashing lights inside, and broke the fuse box. That's not all.
"These guys were low. They even stole my son's car seat," the victim said.
Going forward, he is encouraging everyone to invest a little up front so you can protect your vehicle in the long run.
"Everybody recommends kill-switches, paying a professional, alarms. It's not going to prevent them completely from taking it, but it will slow them down enough to where you can get to catch them," he said.
RELATED: Thieves hacking keyless cars using key fob frequencies
Follow Erica Simon on Twitter and Facebook.
