ST. LOUIS — Used vehicles are more valuable than ever because of the pandemic. They are selling for more money, and at the same time, some popular ones are apparently easy to break into and steal.
A thief was able to steal a popular truck off Shocked Auto Source's lot in Union in a matter of 30 seconds after he was able to get inside the truck. It happened in broad daylight June 9.
"It's crazy because these thieves know what they're doing," said owner Brent Shocklee.
In these times, that's hard to watch. Money is tight for most small businesses, and when inventory is so hard to buy outright, Shocklee depends on trade-ins to keep his used car lot running.
"Losing money like that is pretty tough," he said.
Shocklee's truck had a distinct look with chrome wheels, decals, and more. It was a 2007 Ford F-250 FX4. It has a power stroke diesel engine, so it can be quite loud. It can also be a great work truck on farms or construction sites. The truck also had a black toolbox in the bed and several stickers on the back glass.
Nowadays, you can unlock these trucks with a tool you can buy at Walmart. Once inside, you can unlock the ignition and start the truck with something as small as a flat screwdriver.
Shocklee said that other small dealers had sent warnings that this was happening, so he put up new surveillance video cameras and lights. The problem is the incident happened in broad daylight and in less than a minute and a half.
"If you have a Ford truck--specifically a 1999 to 2007 Ford Super Duty with a diesel engine--keep an eye on it," said Shocklee. "Those trucks don't have a good theft system. People target them."
Local authorities tell 5 On Your Side they are investigating and don't necessarily believe there's a trend, but Shocklee and his business manager, Erica Glastetter say they've heard a lot of stories that would suggest otherwise. They also say they've had a lot more leads about the truck's whereabouts from social media.
"We've had a lot of sightings of it," said Glastetter. "People saying they saw it here or they saw it there."
Shocklee says he even caught up to it driving down Highway 30, but the driver realized he was being followed and took off across traffic. Shocklee says he still hopes the truck can be recovered and for now, is offering a $1500 cash reward for its return.
In the meantime, Glastetter says you'll have to do more to keep some older trucks protected from thieves.
"I would say park it inside if you can," Glastetter said.
This story came in from our text line. If you have a story, text 314-425-5355 or email mli@ksdk.com.