North Texas families are devastated after car thefts they believe involved sophisticated technology. Arlington police are investigating.
ARLINGTON, Texas — People in this North Texas neighborhood are heartbroken after their vehicles were stolen, telling police this is not your average car theft. They believe technology may have played a major role in how the thieves were able to get away without breaking windows or setting off alarms. Home security video shows someone stealing a car belonging to Erica Brigham’s son.
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“It meant a lot to him, and him having something that made him happy,” said Erica Brigham, a vehicle theft victim.
Brigham says that happiness was stolen early last Thursday morning when she realized her son’s 2014 sedan was gone from the driveway. They quickly learned they were not the only victims. They say surveillance video may provide a clue about how the thieves were able to steal the vehicles.
“We saw it on some footage that they use something that looks like their phone, and the car opens, and they’re gone,” said Brigham.
Arlington police confirmed they are investigating. Neighbor Gary Williamson, 84, also wants answers. Williamson walks through the Arlington neighborhood every day and says he has always felt safe there.
He says the surveillance video showed a white car that he believes the thieves were driving.
“It was a white car that the thieves were riding in the thieves were,” said Williamson.
That same night, Williamson says thieves somehow took his son’s locked 2019 pickup truck. His son died last September, and the truck was supposed to go to his grandson.
“They have a way of because of the electronics,” said Williamson.
Williamson says the truck meant much more to his grandson than simply a vehicle.
“He felt kind of a closeness. You know, sitting in the seat that his father sat in, and now he can’t do that,” said Williamson.
Both Williamson and Brigham are warning other vehicle owners and raising another concern. They say that during the thefts, the suspects may have also disabled their home Wi-Fi, potentially interfering with security cameras as they stole the vehicles. For these families, the losses go far beyond transportation.
“They took dreams. They took memories,” said Williamson.
“I had this sense of peace, and that’s gone,” said Brigham.
Now, they are hoping the police can find their vehicles and determine exactly how they were stolen. For both families, those vehicles represent memories, loved ones, and a sense of security that they say was taken in the middle of the night.