Truck stolen in Houston,TX

[RamSteel]

I live just south of Houston, and always thought this to be the case as well.
Earlier this week (~3 am) one of my cameras captured a vehicle pull up, stop, passenger hop out and go to one of the truck doors and attempt to open it. I posted a screen shot of this on the Ring app, and within a couple hours a crime analyst from the local police department informed me that the LPR cameras in the neighborhood got the plate, and gave me his contact info to go over the incident. Apparently this same make and model “getaway” vehicle has been linked to several high end truck thefts in the area over the last couple years. I was really just posting the screenshot to raise awareness for the neighborhood…was surprised the PD cared

I'm shocked but perhaps posting was the necessary action to get a response.

 

[Kojak]

Key reprogramming seems to be the quickest method. There’s videos on YouTube of hellcats being stolen with in a few mins. General thieves will cut wire to horn, break a window to get in, tear into the infotainment center , plug into it and disable the gps while reprogramming key and off they go within a few mins. Dodge released some software to lockout the module that allows reprogramming of keys on the charger/challenger but Ram hasn’t officially released a similar lock yet for the TRX.

“Tear into the infotainment system”…you mean physically tear into it or you mean, break into it digitally through programming ?
I ask because if they’re ripping my truck apart regardless, I might be less inclined to want the truck back.

 

[Rybinator]

If I remember right there’s a plug in port behind the screen/dash they have to get into so yeah they have to tear apart the unit.

 

[g_force]

They may tear apart your dash to disable the GPS used by the Uconnect app to locate your truck.

They can program the key via the OBDII port or the star connector, both easily accessed without damaging your vehicle.

 

[WolverineHusky]

I've involved the cops twice for a stolen property. One was quasi amusing/depressing, the other went well.

1) Ann Arbor, MI in the mid 90s I was in law school and a buddy visited from Virginia. His car got stolen outside my place (which was surprising as Ann Arbor is a very clean and safe city). We reported it, and incredibly, a few days later they found it in Detroit abandoned. So kudos to LE for finding it and letting us know (don't think they were actively looking, they just found, looked up registration and such and reached out).

So we go to the "station" in Detroit and my oh my, we felt like we were in a third world country. The area around the station was like a war zone, and frankly, not to bash LE, but they really didn't appear to be our nation's finest. The station was a mess (garbage, it smelled, etc.), everyone there was about 100 poundsd overweight and disheleved and unkept, and it took like 3 hours just to "find the file". I imagined it looked like a police station in Mogadishu. I mean I was worried about the civilians in the area but the cops there were equally sketchy. Regardless, buddy got his car back. Detroit and St Louis are pretty much the most god awful cities I've ever been too.

2) Few years ago here in Seattle someone broke into my Benz and took random items. Someone in the neighborhood called the cops as they saw my window broken and a sketchy tweaker looking dude walking around. Cops were on scene fast, found the guy, and found my stuff on him. They knocked on my door and let me know they think they found someone who broke into my car (I didn't even know it was broken into as I didn't hear it). They take me to the dude and I identified my stuff and they took him off in the paddy wagon. The police were super cool and professional. Heck, a few weeks later a "victim's advocate" even called me to give me updates on the dude's case and told me how I can track his case and follow it online. (and he probably only stole $100 work of stuff). People like to bash Seattle and all that but in that instance the cops and prosecutor's office was really good and cool. (I've had some bad run-ins with LE here - i.e., being questioned or pulled over for stupid stuff (especially when I was a teenager and young adult in the 80/90s), but I've also always got warnings for speeding even in egregious "yea I did it" cases. They are pretty pragmatic here generally towards me.

 

[ExT]

I usually don't post comments regarding political opinion, and I completely agree with leaving them at the curb for the most part, but he did not say anything that was not factual, and was basically empathizing with the OP. Does this really warrant stopping all discussion over those statements? Not trying to be a wise ass, but it seems a little reactionary.

That was just our sarcastic way to laugh at the censorship

 

[Ziggy]

That was just our sarcastic way to laugh at the censorship

Gotcha! Text is hard to decipher intent sometimes.

 

[lightsweetcrude]

No I didn’t realize that was a thing . TBH if it gets stolen I’d just want to point police in that direction. The truck would probably be picked over or totaled by the time they showed up.

We live in Oak Forest/Garden Oaks area and my wife just text me that 4 trucks were stolen overnight. Some poor guy in a Raptor had his stolen for the second time!

I'm also in GO/OF - I'm the one with the white TRX.

Someone attempted to steal my buddy's Grand Cherokee SRT on Thursday night, as well. Busted in the rear window and had pried off all sorts of fuse access spots and messed with some wiring in the engine bay, then just left it. For a nice neighborhood, we sure deal with a lot crime/theft. Mostly plants and pickups

 

[Kojak]

I'm also in GO/OF - I'm the one with the white TRX.

Someone attempted to steal my buddy's Grand Cherokee SRT on Thursday night, as well. Busted in the rear window and had pried off all sorts of fuse access spots and messed with some wiring in the engine bay, then just left it. For a nice neighborhood, we sure deal with a lot crime/theft. Mostly plants and pickups

Did he have some type of anti-theft device installed or the thief just didn't know what he was doing?

 

[lightsweetcrude]

No anti-theft device... it certainly looked like they at least thought they knew what they were doing. Pried off plastic to expose some fuses/connections in the passenger footwell, same on the driver side dash, and looks like they had spliced some wiring together in the engine bay. Or they're just assholes.

He took it to the dealer and they told him they've had a lot of customers with TRXs/Hellcats/SRTs stolen recently. More than normal. Fun.

 

[White6speed]

2021 TRX blue stolen today from my secured office parking garage.

Remember anyone driving a PU comes from the “basket of deployables” according to Hillary. We probably fall under the lowest priority of the PD based on their new rules and requirements. We just don’t matter, wait till the IRS gets cranked up.

 

[Nicarlov]

air tag is cool and all if the thief's have an iPhone.. your best bet is an IGLA to prevent key programing thefts which accounts for the majority of all Mopar thefts right now.

not sure about who can install in Houston but I do them in Dallas.

Unfortunately there are no installers or retailers here in CO. I checked to purchase online and install locally, but I couldn't find anyone who would do the install

 

[Guest2233]

To close off my TRX theft experience; police have closed the case. Insurance is calling their case a total loose and now I have to go to their offices to sign paperwork and collect my check as payout for the damages on comprehensive insurance loss.

I am now in the market for a new truck I guess.

 

[g_force]

Less than a month to payout isn't bad. At least you can move on and get a new vehicle.

 

[Austinmtlhd]

He should have called the police and reported hearing screaming /moaning from inside the containers

Or there was a guy in a black hoodie. That will get them out there guns blazing.

 

[Phillytrx]

To close off my TRX theft experience; police have closed the case. Insurance is calling their case a total loose and now I have to go to their offices to sign paperwork and collect my check as payout for the damages on comprehensive insurance loss.

I am now in the market for a new truck I guess.

You should get a trx

 

[@JC]

You should get a trx

Just get a Raptor so the thieves pass you up for something better...

 

[cell832]

To close off my TRX theft experience; police have closed the case. Insurance is calling their case a total loose and now I have to go to their offices to sign paperwork and collect my check as payout for the damages on comprehensive insurance loss.

I am now in the market for a new truck I guess

how much did you get? I always assume even with the hassle we’d come out way under, along with having to wait after ordering another one.

 

[SpookyRex]

Always think about your safety first it's op Sec irl

 

[BigRed]

I live just south of Houston, and always thought this to be the case as well.
Earlier this week (~3 am) one of my cameras captured a vehicle pull up, stop, passenger hop out and go to one of the truck doors and attempt to open it. I posted a screen shot of this on the Ring app, and within a couple hours a crime analyst from the local police department informed me that the LPR cameras in the neighborhood got the plate, and gave me his contact info to go over the incident. Apparently this same make and model “getaway” vehicle has been linked to several high end truck thefts in the area over the last couple years. I was really just posting the screenshot to raise awareness for the neighborhood…was surprised the PD cared

I had my TRX stole today and was lucky the RAM vehicle locator still worked. I called the Houston Police and they got to it within 20 minutes of me notifying them.

I was impressed with the Houston Police. The officer noted security cameras where the vehicle was found. He also found a blood drop where the robber cut themselves and collected it. Not sure what will come of it, but I was glad to get the truck found and their response.

No damage on the outside. Looks like they did the classic cut to the horn, broke the window, and ripped up the driver floor side pannel to access what I guess is part of the computer system. They also pulled off the top of the fuse box.

I couldn’t get the truck to start so we had to tow it to the dealership….