HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A Hollywood family is living in fear and seeking answers after, they said, car thieves stole their SUV — twice in one week.
Surveillance video captures one of the subjects breaking into Matthew Roth’s 2016 GMC SUV, turning on the ignition and driving away, Monday, at around 3:40 a.m.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was surprised,” said Roth, a father of four who lives in the Emerald Hills section of Hollywood.
But this was the second time his vehicle was stolen. Last Tuesday, the GMC was taken from the driveway.
The vehicle was recovered hours later. “The car, luckily, was equipped with OnStar, so they were able to locate it, and they shut it down,” said Roth.
Monday morning, as he walked out of his home to take his children to school, he realized he had been targeted a second time.
“My kids came running, ‘The car’s gone again. The car’s gone again,'” said Roth, “so they were all panicked.”
When asked what went through his mind at that moment, Roth replied, “I knew at that point I can’t have the car in my driveway anymore.”
But more than anything, the homeowner is concerned for his family’s safety. “The real big concern my wife and I have is our children,” he said. “My daughter, who sleeps by that door, she’s not sleeping very well.”
Once again, the SUV was located by its tracking device. Hollywood Police’s Crime Scene Unit were in the parking lot where the vehicle was recovered taking fingerprints.
Just over a week ago, Roth discovered his car keys were missing, but at the time, he thought they had likely been misplaced somewhere in the house. “You know, when you have four children, they can put them in the couch, they can put them anywhere,” he said. “I didn’t really think much about it. I figured they would turn up. You know, you lose your keys every so often, and then when we saw the video, we knew this person had the keys.”
Roth hopes police are able to apprehend the repeat crooks. “If it is the same people, knowing that the car was tracked and was picked up right away, I didn’t think that they would do it again so quickly,” he said. “It was surprising to me.”
The concerned parent has a message for the thieves. “Police are looking for you. They got the prints. We know where you’ve taken the car,” he said. “The neighborhood is vigilant. We all talk to each other.”
If you have any information on these thefts, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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