Thieves Target Jeeps in Cleveland as Police Investigate Stolen Vehicle Used in Possible Kidnapping
CLEVELAND, OH — Cleveland authorities have identified Jeep Grand Cherokees and Jeep Cherokees as the latest targets of vehicle theft, with criminals using advanced technology to steal them in under 90 seconds. Law enforcement officials warn that stolen vehicles are often linked to violent crimes, including drive-by shootings.
“The method to steal these Jeeps without getting too much into it does involve some more advanced equipment,” said Ryan Bokoch, supervisor of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Crime Strategies Unit.
Cleveland police report that thieves are using scanning devices to hack into a Jeep’s electronic system, allowing them to reprogram a blank key fob to start the vehicle. Since November, at least 62 Jeep Grand Cherokees or Jeep Cherokees have been reported stolen in Cuyahoga County, with authorities suspecting that this technology was used in at least 20 cases.
“We’ve seen search warrants where police find blank key fobs in someone’s house as well as some of the equipment,” Bokoch added.
Bokoch also emphasized the correlation between stolen vehicles and violent crimes, particularly shootings.
“Our focus is always on violent crime, so when we started seeing time and time again these drive-by shooting reports and other uses of a firearm reports involving these Jeep vehicles, you start to notice that pattern pretty quickly,” he said.
One of the stolen Jeeps is now at the center of an ongoing investigation after being used in an alleged kidnapping on Monday. The Cleveland Division of Police is asking for the public’s help in locating a black Jeep Cherokee SRT that was reported stolen and later seen on security and Flock cameras in connection with the incident.
According to police, officers from the Fifth District responded to a call around 3 p.m. near East 116th Street and St. Clair Avenue. A witness reported seeing two Black males, possibly in their mid-teens and wearing dark clothing, near the stolen vehicle. One of them appeared to be armed and was pointing a gun at another Black male of similar age. The witness told police that the teenager seemed to have been forced into the Jeep against his will before it drove off westbound on St. Clair Avenue.
Authorities say the Jeep has a broken sunroof and was last seen in the area of Ivanhoe and Euclid. The alleged victim was wearing a red hoodie at the time.
Anyone with information regarding the Jeep’s location or the individuals involved is urged to contact Cleveland police detectives at (216) 621-1234 or call 911.
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