A spate of high-end vehicle thefts has been reported in the Waterloo Region.
Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the Kitchener neighbourhood are being targeted by car thieves.
“We looked up and down the road thinking maybe we parked it down there,” Karly Lavigne, whose new Lexus RX was stolen, told CTV News.
Lavigne noted that six other people in the Kitchener Doon South neighbourhood have also lost their vehicles to theft since last Tuesday. She also said that despite keeping the keys to her car upstairs in her bedroom, the burglars managed to take the vehicle.
Lavigne was later informed that her car was recovered in downtown Toronto.
Another local, Paul Damaren, had his vehicle stolen. Notably, his two neighbours’ vehicles were also all stolen Tuesday morning.
“It was [a] shock,” said Damaren. “It was the fact they had the nerve to not only steal one car on the street, but three within close proximity of each other and all around the same time.”
Waterloo regional police have cautioned that thieves are using relay and reprogramming technology to access vehicles that have push-button start functionality, thus Toyota and Lexus vehicles are the most popular targets.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has confirmed that since 2017, Toyota Highlanders and Lexus SUVs have always ranked as the most stolen vehicles in Canada.
IBC Western director of consumer and industry relations Rob de Pruis advised those whose cars have been stolen to immediately call the police and their insurer.
“If you do need your vehicle to get your work or go about your daily business, this is where your insurance policy can respond and get you help right away,” de Pruis told CTV News.
