NORFOLK, Va - Cars thefts are on the rise in Norfolk. More than 200 cars have been stolen this summer in Norfolk, according to Norfolk's crime mapping.
One Norfolk family had both of its cars stolen in the middle of the night. The family says thieves jammed up their Wi-Fi to stop their doorbell camera from recording the crime.
"We noticed in the morning that both our cars were gone when we went to leave for work. We first immediately went to pull up our camera to see if there was any video and there wasn’t," Derrick Edwards said.
Thieves stole their 2018 Toyota Hylander and 2013 Ford Fusion.
"We later learned they have the ability, the car thieves to jam your Wi-Fi signal. So if your camera is through your Wi-Fi, it can be blocked," Edwards said.
The Edwards say thieves were able to jam their Blink doorbell camera to stop recording.
Their neighbor's RING doorbell footage captured this video from across the street of thieves cranking up and driving away in their Toyota Hylander.
"Both cars were locked. All of our keys were inside the home so how the thieves were able to get into our vehicle and able to start them and get away in such a short amount of time," Chelsea Chandler Edwards said.
Another video from their neighbor's RING doorbell shows thieves taking the couple’s Ford Fusion. The Edwards say they got rid of their Blink doorbell camera and now have a hard-wired camera installed – instead of a wireless camera. A system that doesn’t require Wi-Fi.
"Jamming the cameras is very common. Definitely look into getting your cameras hard-wired," Edwards said.
A cybersecurity expert with Tidewater Community College says it's becoming increasingly easier for thieves to jam up Wi-Fi-powered doorbell systems.
"The only way to prevent anything like that is to have a wired camera system. Wireless sounds great but it’s easy to exploit if you wanna knock somebody down," Gregg Tennefoss said.
Now the couple says they lost a sense of peace at their own home.
"We have two children that are really young. What’s stopping them from coming back again when we get new cars," Edwards said.
If you have any information about the stolen cars, you are asked to call Norfolk Police or the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
Related: Police investigate string of car thefts targeting Kias, Hyundais in Portsmouth
