NEW ORLEANS — According to New Orleans Police, more than 100 Infiniti vehicles have been stolen this year.
Eileen Bivalacqua says her Infiniti was recently stolen, she told WWL Louisiana, "It was just stolen off the street, in the middle of the night we think."
She says she walked outside and the car was gone, saying, "I didn't realize Infinities being stolen was a thing, I thought it was the Kias and Hyundais."
According to NOPD:
- In 2021 there were 138 Infiniti's stolen
- Last year, 115 were stolen
- 109 stolen so far this year
Stolen Autos NOLA, an Instagram account that posts stolen cars daily in the hope community members can help each other find their car, says the number of stolen Infiniti's has been steadily increasing.
Stolen Autos NOLA says thieves are using a special kind of technology to steal them, the account holder who asked we keep their identity concealed said, "It's a device that you plug into the car, and you can use any generic key fob and it programs it to that car now you have a key to that car."
Mechanic, Sam Robinson says it only takes thieves five minutes to steal your Infiniti, he said, "All you got to do is jump through the sunroof, once you jump through the sunroof, you just take a simple key fob like that a blank one, use a programed tablet and you're gone."
He fears if more people get access to this technology, more Infinitis will be stolen. Robinson said "Japanese vehicles they do a lot of modifications, so you can alter anything."
His advice for owners of the Nissan-manufactured luxury vehicle is, "Put a camera near your car keep the ring camera near your vehicle, or just don't buy them."
WWL Louisiana reached out to Infiniti about this rise in stolen cars, and they responded with the following statement:
"The safety and security of our clients is a priority for INFINITI," a spokesperson for Infiniti Americas began the statement. "An increase in auto thefts is an issue affecting many communities, and as thieves become more sophisticated, we are working to improve the security systems in our vehicles. To help minimize vehicle thefts, we recommend owners park their vehicles in well-lit and secure areas, and ensure the vehicle is locked at all times with all key fobs in a secure place outside of the vehicle. We encourage owners not to leave their key fobs in their vehicles, including any spares, as lockout protection could prevent the doors from locking and enable the vehicle to be started."
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