HONOLULU (KHON2) — Approximately one motor vehicle is stolen every 32 seconds in the U.S. according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Though they said most are recovered within days, it doesn’t take away the financial hardship and frustration felt by the victims.
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Brian Vinella’s 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 was stolen some time after 1 a.m. Sunday, Oct 29th.The last time he saw it, it was parked right in front of his house.
“We woke up about eight in the morning to go get some food at Safeway for breakfast and notice that the truck was gone,” Vinella said.
KHON: “When you wake up in the morning, then you notice that your vehicle’s gone? What’s your reaction?”
“It was pretty traumatic,” he explained. ” I had a vehicle stolen from me once before, and this truck is very near and dear to my heart. My family and I have done a bunch of road trips and stuff in it. So it hurt pretty bad.”
That same weekend, a 1985 Toyota Landcruiser was stolen from a parking lot in Harbor center.
“It was a cool car,” owner DJ said. “It meant something to my son and to me.”
According to DJ, it was parked in the upper Harbor Center parking lot stall 15.
“I was just couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I first checked and thought maybe it got towed cause we’ve been working on it, and it’s been since sitting here for a little while. Then once I finally realized somebody took it, it was just disappointment.”
Last year 2,639 cars were stolen, that’s down from, more than 3,313 the previous year.
Of the top 10 stolen cars in Hawaii for 2022, the 2006 Full Size ford pick up, took the top spot, followed closely by the 2003 Toyota Tacoma.
1 Ford Pickup (Full Size) 2006
2 Toyota Tacoma 2003
3 Toyota Corolla 2009
4 Toyota Camry 1997
5 Honda Civic 1999
6 Honda CR-V 1999
7 Nissan Frontier 2004
8 Ford Econoline E350 2004/2002/2001
9 Toyota 4Runner 2004
10 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size) 1990
While many of these cars are older models, a car mechanic told KHON2 he thinks cars are actually becoming easier to steal.
He said it’s because many of them are computerized and all you need is the right electronic equipment and you’re gone in 60 seconds.
In a statement from the National Insurance Crime Bureau:
“It’s difficult to qualify how easy or hard it is for thieves to steal modern cars vs. older models since the methods have evolved with designs. Tech-savvy car thieves use various methods like breaching the computer systems that are built into the cars’ communication network or a “relay attack,” in which they capture the signal from key fobs remotely, unlock cars and drive it away.”
Both DJ and Vinella aren’t giving up hope yet.
“It’s a big burgundy truck,” Vinella added. “There’s only a few of them on the island so I’m sure somebody’s seen something so I hope people report it.”
“I just hope we find it in one piece,” DJ said.
If you have any information about these vehicles or any other car theft, contact police.
