HOUSTON – A scary situation unfolded in a Houston neighborhood late at night this week when a group of thieves tried, and failed, to steal a Ford Raptor pickup truck parked on the street.
The attempted theft happened in the 3600 block of Aberdeen Way.
Authorities say while some of the suspects were trying to take the truck, another person pulled out a gun and waved it toward nearby homes, putting residents on edge.
“He was very serious about waving the gun around and kind of keeping an eye out for his co-conspirators. And thankfully nobody came out and nobody got hurt,” Constable Alan Rosen said. “Find another job, find something else you can do that’s not as stupid as this.”
Dejka Araujo, the homeowner who said her son’s truck was targeted, was asleep inside.
“All of this took about three minutes and they drove away,” she said. “It was very disturbing ... It was as though they were putting on a performance with guns up in the air and looking in all directions.”
The group ended up leaving without the truck and only stealing a pair of headphones, Araujo said. They all took off before officers arrived. No one was injured.
Even though the truck wasn’t stolen, investigators say the situation is a reminder of how bold, and dangerous, car thieves can be.
“There’s no piece of property worth your life,” Rosen said.
He’s urging people to take simple steps to protect their vehicles, like locking doors and using anti-theft devices such as steering wheel locks, alarms, or kill switches.
Rosen, who said vehicles are stolen on average of once an hour in Houston/Harris County, also recommended having note of your license plate and VIN numbers to quickly report any vehicle theft.
And if you ever see something suspicious happening in your neighborhood, call 911.