Car stolen out of garage in our neighborhood (best neighborhoods, crimes)

[loves2read]

Got post on website homeowners in our neighborhood belong to that a Mercedes convertible was stolen out of a home's garage last night--
owner has given ino nfo about how they gained access or how they took the car away --
I don't know if she is actually at the house--maybe just got notified by neighbors herself--

I Googled her address since I don't know them or where house is located and lo and behold the Google street view shows that house with open garage door and two cars in garage--one being a new Mercedes of some sort...
Google gives out lot of info people might prefer was not available online like that...

I Googled our house and got closed garage door and unfamiliar car in driveway...

[Headacher]

That's awful. And disturbing. I'm assuming this happened in the Florida neighborhood, the area I've been interested in. Sort of seems like the thieves knew what they were targeting. Google Streetview does show a lot.

That unfamiliar car in your driveway possibly belonged to the previous home owner, depending on how long ago the Google camera car traveled through the area. I've seen dates on Streetview (down in the bottom left corner) as old as 2007.

Even in the best neighborhoods, you've got to close and lock those doors and windows.

[beninfl]

So you want to speculate how they got in, and cant.

Then you speculated that Google's Street View maps which are updated in our counties every four years was the way thieves gained knowledge of said car?

What about facebook posts? Twitter posts?

What about friends who know the house or keys location?

What about someone who simply followed the car home?

What about a garage door signal intercept?

What about randomness?

Google. OK.

[loves2read]

I googled an article in NYTimes about a guy who is suing Google to have his house disguised on streetview so he has his privacy...

I have no idea how the thieves go in--as I said the homeowner has not posted any other info that I have seen...
all of your suggestions are possible--
anything is possible if you are just speculating--

I just thought it was a little unsettling/ironic that when I Googled the address the street view showed the car that was stolen...

[notoriouskelly]

Google street is fun ; seems sissy that people want stuff removed that anyone can drive by & see.

And those Google maps can be quite old.

[loves2read]

That guy's objection was that his backyard was visible and other areas that you had to walk on his property to view--
not just available from the street

I can understand why some people would object--there is lot of info available on Internet about anyone--not just on Google--
and you are right that the photos are fixed in time and aren't necessarily accurate for things like cars--but it is more likely that a garage that was at the rear of your house when the photo was taken is still there and there are still X number of windows on each side of your house...

You can't discount the idea that someone who wanted to burglarize a certain area might be using Google maps or any other way to get info--a smart burglar that is...

The funny thing is that earlier in March when we were there visiting, our daughter's neighbor across the street left her garage door open for 2 days...apparently they went out of town or somethng and forgot to put the door down...
our daughter called the county sheriff to report it and someone at the non-emergency number told HER to go over there and see what was going on...
she declined and I suggested she call the man in charge of neighorhood security patrol for the HOA--he managed to get the Sheriff's office to send out car with two people and they went into the house to check...
nothng stolen that they could tell--which was lucky--
and they put the door down...

[zmgriffith]

A Mercedes would have a chip in the key, right?

I'm thinking that the owner must have left the keys in the car - we're past the days of hot-wiring a car with wire snips and a screwdriver on the mean streets of SRQ.

There have been a few times over the years (and in different cities) in which I've come out to find my gas cap cover door flipped open. I think enough people must stow an extra key there to make the thieves check.

A police officer once told me that most thefts are crimes of opportunity. The thief didn't necessarily leave home intending to steal something, but the opportunity was presented and the thief makes a choice. Obviously walking into someone's carport or garage shows a bit more proactivity in the endeavor, but I'd be surprised if the thief busted open the steering column on a Mercedes inside of a carport without detection.

All conjecture. Ignore this post.

[neildiamond11790]

Originally Posted by zmgriffith

A Mercedes would have a chip in the key, right?

I'm thinking that the owner must have left the keys in the car - we're past the days of hot-wiring a car with wire snips and a screwdriver on the mean streets of SRQ.

There have been a few times over the years (and in different cities) in which I've come out to find my gas cap cover door flipped open. I think enough people must stow an extra key there to make the thieves check.

A police officer once told me that most thefts are crimes of opportunity. The thief didn't necessarily leave home intending to steal something, but the opportunity was presented and the thief makes a choice. Obviously walking into someone's carport or garage shows a bit more proactivity in the endeavor, but I'd be surprised if the thief busted open the steering column on a Mercedes inside of a carport without detection.

All conjecture. Ignore this post.

This is fairly common these days, not only are they checking for spare key, but others may be siphoning gas out of your car. You should be locking your car always, which usually will lock your gas tank down.

[photoman_6]

although it sorta negates the convenience of a remote door opener, the best remedy for this is to physically lock the garage door after entering the garage. then when you want to back out, just unlock it and use the remote in the car to open the door.
there are electronic gizmos in the market that you can use while driving in the neighborhood to decipher garage door opener commands. this would eliminate that problem.

[loves2read]

The owner posted that the car was found in Ft Myers--got call from those police at 3am this morning--have guy in custody--
she didn't really say HOW the guy entered the garage--but guess they are in residence--

She said that they always make sure they are "locked up" for the night--that her husband had "hidden" the key in the car and his wallet--so owners had stolen credit cards and other personal info to deal with as well...

so finding the key was probably easy once in the car--few people actually lock their doors after parking car IN the garage--although something to consider I guess--

I can't help but think this was someone who might know that he does that habitually--leaves the key and wallet in his car--
otherwise what are the odds that car would be taken on 1 night when he left key in it...
and from what I have seen of residents' cars in this neighborhood, it is likely one of the top 3 most expensive ones...which agains makes it seem very targeted...