CHARLOTTE — Two 19-year-olds, Samuel Barnes and Donshavis Jones, are facing multiple charges after being accused of stealing hundreds of vehicles in Charlotte using key fob programmers.
The alleged thefts occurred between July and December of last year, targeting mostly luxury cars. Police reports initially mentioned three suspects, but charges have been dismissed for one of them.
“We were gone for no longer than two hours; the next thing you know, I’m getting a call from neighbors, somebody’s driving through your garage,” said one victim, who wished to remain anonymous.
The investigation revealed that the suspects used key fob programmers to clone drivers’ keys, allowing them to access and steal vehicles.
Detectives found 252 entries in the devices seized from the suspects, which matched the stolen vehicles’ VINs.
One victim described how the suspects drove a stolen SUV into his garage to break into his home.
“That’s like the third house in this neighborhood that happened like that,” he said, expressing concern over the brazen nature of the thefts.
Despite the arrests, some victims have yet to recover their stolen property.
“All of my neighbors on this street, we’re kinda in tune with each other, so if something is wrong, we’re going to let everyone know,” another resident commented on the neighborhood’s vigilance.
Channel 9 has gathered a list of tips to help prevent this from happening to you.
Residents should consider using a signal-blocking pouch for their car keys, checking their manual to see if they can turn their key fob’s wireless signal off when the vehicle is parked, or using a steering wheel lock if they don’t have a garage to park in.
VIDEO: Criminals use homemade key fobs to hack into vehicles
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