C7 Corvettes are often called computers on wheels.
Now that high-tech technology that make them so popular to enthusiasts is also making the cars vulnerable to thieves, including one man recently captured on video using a device in his hand to help steal an Arctic White 2019 Corvette coupe from a Toyota dealership in Florida.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance video from Dec. 15 that shows the thief first trying to use the device to open the $75,000 Corvette at the dealership in Stuart. When that strategy fails, he then breaks the window, climbs in, and apparently uses the same device to crank the car and drive away.
This was the first time a theft like this has been captured on video, according to Chief Deputy John Budensiek.“Looking back at some of our other high-end cars that were stolen, this very well may have happened,” he says. “We just didn’t have a video of it taking place where we can see exactly how they did it.”
Budensiek suspects a crew of traveling organized criminals are targeting keyless entry vehicles, noting the latest theft of the Corvette took less than three minutes.
“It’s extremely alarming how fast criminals are able to come in there, use this program, get in the vehicle and drive off,” he says.
To try to prevent such a problem, Budensiek suggests being proactive by hiding an inexpensive tracker inside the car because thieves can sometimes disable the OnStar GPS, as the crook did in this case.
He asks anyone with information about the theft of the Corvette to contact the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.