COLUMBIA, Md. — Thieves stole more than a dozen vehicles in Howard County in a matter of three days, and one victim says they used sophisticated electronic technology to pull it off.
Steven Robbins and his wife noticed his brand-new blue Honda Civic Sport was missing early Tuesday morning outside their Columbia home. Both still had their keys.
"I said, ‘Did you move the car?’ And she panicked and said: ‘No!’ So I looked out, and the car was gone. And I knew right then that it had been boosted," he said.
Howard County vehicle theft spree targets more than a dozen cars in three days
Recently, airbags had been stolen from several vehicles on the same street.
“It’s starting to feel like I live back in South Baltimore again, you know, everyone has to stay defensive,” Robbins said.
At least 14 vehicles between Saturday night and Tuesday morning were targeted according to Howard County police. More than half were located in Columbia, with additional thefts reported in Elkridge, Ellicott City, Jessup and Laurel.
Six were Hondas.
Across the street from Robbins, neighbor and close friend Richard Sibilly captured the incident on his security cameras, equipment he installed a few years ago during an uptick in property crimes on the street.
"I said enough is enough. Because it's getting too close. So the only way to protect yourself is weaponize yourself with the cameras," Sibilly said. "It's close to home now. It is home. 'Cause he's like family to us.”
The video captured shows a black car entering the neighborhood. Robbins says it had 4 people in black masks inside.
The car then pulls behind his vehicle and the headlights are turned off. At one point, a small light can be seen next to the car, which Robbins believes was an “All Keys Lost" or Flipper device, technology that can intercept and manipulate car fob signals, was used to hijack it.
“They read the car’s VIN number and got the car’s accessories; They got the ignition code, they got the remote key fob code," he said. "They had my ‘key’ in their hand."
Vehicle thefts are down 25% in Howard County this year, but less than half, or 42%, of stolen vehicles have been recovered so far.
"I hope the federal government takes action and stops these devices from falling into the wrong hands," Robbins said.
This has been a wake-up call for neighbors and Robbins, who’s in the cybersecurity industry himself. He’s now investing in tools to counteract bad guys, including Faraday boxes to block car key signals and AirTags.
“Then the police could have tracked it. They could have arrested the people in it without them being tracked,” he said. “My car would be here, I wouldn't be driving someone else's rental car and I wouldn't feel like my life has just been completely violated.”
Physical deterrents can also be helpful, such as a steering wheel club, an accelerator lock, and an ignition kill switch.
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