Latest news with #KristinaRinaldi
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police across US warn about new, high-tech key fob thefts
Police have a warning for car drivers: criminals reportedly have a new, high-tech way to steal your vehicle – without ever touching a key. It's called a ProPad, which ABC News reports is a tool typically used by locksmiths. Now, it's being abused to clone key fobs and program new ones. ALSO READ: Suspects accused of stealing hundreds of cars with key fob devices in Charlotte One woman told ABC's Detroit affiliate WXYZ that she watched her own car being stolen from her driveway in the middle of the night. 'I watched somebody drive off with my car,' Kristina Rinaldi said. WXYZ reports Rinaldi's vehicle was ultimately recovered after a police chase, but was totaled. And now across the country, police are tracking thieves who've used ProPad-like devices. The thefts reportedly only take minutes. In the video above, ABC's Alison Kosik explains how. WATCH BELOW: Morganton man accused of stealing from firefighters, church
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
Detroit Dog Rescue vehicle stolen after alleged key fob replication, police chase ensues
The Brief A police chase across Metro Detroit involved a stolen vehicle from a dog rescue business in West Bloomfield. At 2:30 a.m. on Friday, Kristina Rinaldi says, in the blink of an eye, her car was unlocked. Six months prior, her car was broken into, and police say they made a replica key fob for her car. DETROIT (FOX 2) - A multi-city police chase ended in a crash in Detroit, where police say the vehicle was stolen from Detroit Dog Rescue in West Bloomfield. Timeline It was quite the day for Kristina Rinaldi, the executive director of Detroit Dog Rescue, who says her vehicle was broken into in 2024. She never expected that something would happen to it again. "You can take a car, and I can replace that car," she said. "But the sense of safety that I feel, it's hard. It's lingering. I have two small daughters, and it's sad." Rinaldi is shaken as her Chevy Suburban, which she sometimes uses to rescue dogs, was stolen from her driveway in West Bloomfield, and she witnessed the whole thing from her bedroom window. "I'm still having a hard time believing it. I was actually still awake, getting home from Detroit Dog Rescue," she said. "I heard a car pull up. I thought it was Amazon delivering something for DDR. I noticed it was a white Challenger (Charger), and something was just off about that." Her instincts were right. At 2:30 a.m. on Friday, she says, in the blink of an eye, her car was unlocked. "And then I saw someone come out of the white Charger and just run for my car, and within a few minutes, had the car started. I had screamed out 'hey,'" she said. She says it startled the guy for a second, but then he jumped in and drove away. Rinaldi called the police and quickly learned how they did it. "Six months ago, my car was broken into, and what police know is that it was probably them, and they got the VIN number. They were able to make a replica key fob," she said. What they're saying Then she learned that it was part of a police chase. "It went from West Bloomfield to Troy to Detroit back to Eastpointe. Eastpointe pursued and pursued it into Detroit, where it ultimately crashed," she said. "So, detectives have the car now." She says her truck was insured, but it's totaled, and the investigation is ongoing. Her advice to others: park your vehicle inside your garage if you have one. "They were flying pretty fast, and I'm grateful nobody else was hurt. On a day when a lot of kids were off school today," she said. "People are on Easter break. I'm just, I don't even care, I'm so grateful nobody else was hurt." What's next Rinaldi says the suspects are in custody, and she initially offered a $5,000 reward for tips that led to an arrest. She says she's going to stay in touch with the police to see if any tips come in.
