Authorities say the men, 24-year-old Michael Arce and 22-year-old Jesse Zelaya, focused on new Jeep and Dodge vehicles typically not available to buyers in Mexico, used pirated software on their computer to reprogram the electronic security on the targeted vehicle so their own key worked, and then drove off. The police have been watching them for a while, but were unable to catch them in the act until last Friday. Fiat Chrysler is asking that auto owners ensure their vehicles are in a safe location at night and locked.
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“There’s a possibility they may not be the only ones that are doing this, but right now we feel if they are the only ones that are doing this, with this arrest we hope we will be able to curb the amount of thefts occurring”, said Jim Woods of the Houston Police Department.
After this article was posted, the company reached out to Autoblog, stating “FCA US takes the safety and security of its customers seriously and incorporates security features in its vehicles that help to reduce the risk of unauthorized and unlawful access to vehicle systems and wireless communications”.
On July 25, investigators obtained information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Immigration Enforcement regarding vehicles being stolen utilizing a laptop computer.
In April, this surveillance video showed the theft of a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
Investigators told ABC 13 that the suspects hooked the laptop to the cars (many of which were unlocked), then used pirated software to somehow turn them on and just drive the away.
Police identified Arce and Zelaya as the ringmasters of this hacking and car-stealing gang.
When the suspects were arrested Saturday, police also say they found electronic devices, keys and other tools believed to have been used in the thefts, along with narcotics, firearms and body armor, police said.
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It is extremely hard to export a stolen vehicle, Carol Kaplan of the National Insurance Crime Bureau told ABC News in July. “This investigation is ongoing and as such, the Company has no further comment”. He is set for a court appearance August 26. He was set for a court appearance August 26. Court records show Zelaya doesn’t yet have an attorney.
