Police investigating the crime found the jack from a Range Rover under the car and a brief recce turned up a wheel-less Rover nearby. The thieves apparently used the jack, in addition to two others, possibly resulting in the unintentional collapse as the wheels were removed.

The driver, an engineer driving the car for evaluation, fears he left the car unlocked in his driveway over night. It looks like he actually lives in a nice neighborhood. Is this what greater Detroit is like now? [via Camaro5]

Although we expect automakers to scream about the new sticker destroying profitability and requiring at least 10 years of development work to implement, we think the program makes some serious sense. In fact, the numbers we've seen peg the potential savings at $240 million US dollars. Not bad for a cost per-vehicle of just $1.90.

Apparently, some automakers have already recognized the writing on the wall. Hyundai is installing the new tamper-resistant stickers on its entire Australian fleet, and Subaru, BMW, Audi and Porsche all used them on at least some models, resulting in improved theft rankings from NRMA Insurance. This all sounds like the kind of thing our friends at Unique Performance would be solidly against...if, you know, they weren't going to jail.
[Drive.com.au; (Photo Credit: Insurance.com)]

It's assumed that Richardson intended to convert the grease into biodiesel that he could then use in his own vehicle to save money on fuel, or to sell for a profit. It's not known what penalties he'll face.

It seems odd that a fast food restaurant manager would report someone stealing grease, but could be an indicator of things to come. Could used cooking grease become a commodity just like other fuel sources? [Via CBS5]

NPR reports that expensive gadgets are "crimogenic"— that is, they cause thefts to happen, by their very nature. Not hard to see why GPS's are super-crimogenic. The street value for a GPS receiver is six times that of a basic radio. And because GPS receivers are often affixed to windshields with little more than suction cups, they're are often easier to snatch.

Here are the facts. They are cold and they are hard. If you leave your GPS receiver suctioned to the windshield at all times of the day, it's going to get stolen, period. Secondly, if you do make the stupid mistake of leaving your gadgets out in plain sight, at least register your device with the manufacturer, so on the slim to nil chance your gadget is recovered, it can actually be identified as yours.

Thanks for the kind info, NPR. The pledge-drive check is in the mail. [NPR]

Our Weekend Program needs Meals-On-Wheels drivers! Pickup meals between 10 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday or Sunday at the Belmont Center, 4610 SE Belmont. Deliveries are made in Multnomah County only and take about 90 minutes. No need to return to the center after delivering! For more information, phone Bruce at 503.736.6325 ext. 86223 [The Columbian]

Remember parents, proper crime technique begins at home, a lesson that Heather Gehring, of Arlington, TX (does TexansAreHot know this lady?) took to heart. She brought her sons, aged 16 and 8 along with her on a crime spree at Lynn Smith Chevrolet in Burleson. Security cameras captured them breaking into cars and taking off with the radios while the eight-year-old kept watch; Gehring was seen on pawn shop security cameras a bit later wearing the same clothes she used in the heist. She's admitted to the crimes, and yes, CPS has been called. – Davey G. Johnson

Police: Woman Burglarized Cars With Her Kids [CBS 11]

Related:
It's Schadenfriday! Strippers and Graft: Houston Collector Loses Cars, Cash [Internal]

Poor bike riding let to car theft, suspect says [Florida Today]

Related:
Manhattan Murder Mystery: Stripped SRT-8 [Internal]

"262 subscribers that personal information, including Social Security numbers — about them and 298 of their dependents — were taken March 31 from [the] employee's car at a Downriver location that Blue Cross officials declined to name."

...to combat any potential for abuse from identity thieves. Unless of course they're laid-off autoworkers. In which case they're totally screwed. More than likely as it's in the Downriver area the thief isn't smart enough to realize the treasure trove they've now picked up, thinking instead that the real score's the faux-leather briefcase they found it in. Silly little Downriver thief! – Ray Wert

Social Security numbers and other info taken from Blue Cross worker's car [Freep]

Related:
GM Employees Put The Social In Social Security [internal]

Somewhere on the safe-as-milk streets of Manhattan's Upper West Side, a resident is waking to the realization that the new New York may not be so new after all, but still heartened to see today's strip-artists carrying extra cardboard to protect their victims' brake rotors. [Thanks to Seth for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Dodge Charger Prime Theft Target? [internal]

...breaks the window on your Cirrus and jacks the laptop from your passenger seat — credit card numbers and all. When you wake up and stumble outside in the morning, squinting from the glaring sun — you see what's happened to your car and you begin to get this awful feeling in the pit of your stomach.

We hope that feeling sucked, cause it can't be very far off from the feeling felt by thousands of poor schleps who now have to deal with the reprecussions of your stupidity, ourselves included. So let this be a lesson to you, Ernst & Young employee — Don't leave important shit like my credit card number in your car, ok? If you aren't smart enough to remember to bring it with you at all times, then get yourself a set of handcuffs and handcuff it to your arm until you're smart enough, k? Thank you. That is all.

Laptop theft exposes Hotels.com data [CNet]

Nope, it's not some literal interpretation of "Need for Speed Underground"; it's a manner of automotive graveyard, which police in Denver unearthed yesterday. Acting on an anonymous tip, authorities found the remains of a stolen C5 Corvette (pictured) and a Mercury Mountaineer. Both had been stripped for parts. Forensic teams are combing the area with a metal detector to see if any other treasures might also have been buried. In other news, Jimmy Hoffa may still be down there.

CO Police Unearth Auto Graveyard. Literally. [Noonzwheels]

Related:
There's a Plymouth Buried in Tulsa and We're Not Surprised [internal]

Cheech and Chong taught us all about stealing gas in their 1980 sequel "Next Movie," in which they siphon gas into a trash can (full of garbage), then dump it all over the car and themselves as they try to fill the tank. Afterwards, they light a smoke and the car goes up in flames (though they're miraculously unkilled). Of course, compared to C&C's legendary "getting across the street" scene, one Washington State man's plot to steal more than a million gallons of gas from a distribution center on Harbor Island is completely unfunny. That's probably why it worked. For a while.

Fuel theft alleged at Harbor Island [The Seattle Times]

Related:
Strippers Work Deconstruction Magic on Stolen Cars [internal]

Early North Jersey industrial skyline/I'm a all-set Cobra Jet creepin' through the nighttime/Gotta find a gas station, gotta find a pay phone/This turnpike sure is spooky at night when your headlights are stolen...

Trouble in East Rutherford, folks: twelve cars at a Bruce Springsteen gig at Continental Airlines Arena Wednesday night had their HID headlights hijacked. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority says that they'd added extra security for the second of the Boss' home-state shows, which went off last night. No word on any further thefts, or whether they called in Mister State Trooper to scare off would-be perps.

Headlights stolen from 12 cars at Springsteen show [Philly.com]

Related:
Flip Your Wig: Rhode Island Residents Bummed Over Overturned Cars [Internal]

New York City in the 1970s was like Death Valley for disabled cars. Breaking down on the West Side Highway, for example, not only meant a long walk to the nearest (working) phone, but also a virtual death sentence for the car. Back then, car-stripping shock troops roamed the city in Dodge Tradesman vans, carrying all the accouterments needed to gut a Ford LTD to the frame in less than five minutes. Grand theft auto carried a stiffer sentence than getting caught with a truckload of stolen parts, so the genius of the criminal mind found a less-costly workaround. Such unthinkable acts of mechanical virtuosity were repeated hundreds of times a week, at a time when — quality being what it was — breaking down by the roadside was as common as being mugged on the subway, and just another hassle to which New Yorkers were resigned. Ah, good times.

Quick strippers turn bodies into easy money [Salt Lake Tribune]

Related:
Lock Up Your 1999 Integras: One out of 200 Stolen [internal]