Robbery from postal worker led police to suspects in brazen car thefts

The most recent "Gone in 60 Seconds" movie was a somewhat corny film, but the thieves avoided serious trouble for their heists. A group of brazen car theft suspects in Ohio met its end after one allegedly robbed a postal worker and got caught. Police investigating that crime traced back evidence that linked the group to a series of brazen thefts in which new vehicles were stolen straight off Detroit auto factory holding lots.

Police arrested Devin Rice in January after a postal worker was robbed of a mailbox key in a Cleveland suburb. Police investigating the crime said they conducted a search of Rice's home and turned up stolen mail and credit cards — and stolen vehicles, including a Range Rover, a Ram pickup, and a Hellcat-powered Dodge.

Automakers park vehicles in holding lots before shipping, and thieves have been targeting those facilities. They gained access to vehicles using an electronic locksmith tool called a "pro pad" to simulate the signal from a key fob. The cars were then sold on the street for pennies on the dollar of their original worth.

“In the Detroit area they are selling them for like $3,500,” Sgt. Jerry Hanna of the Macomb County Auto Theft Squad told the Associated Press. “Once they get that money in their pockets, they go out and steal another one.”