Miami

Miami Man Arrested in Car Theft May Be Behind Other High-Tech Heist

Jonathan Rios, 23, was arrested Sunday on a third-degree grand theft of a vehicle charge, according to an arrest report

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A Miami man is facing charges in connection with a car theft over the weekend and he may be responsible for at least one other high-tech vehicle theft.

Jonathan Rios, 23, was arrested Sunday on a third-degree grand theft of a vehicle charge, according to an arrest report.

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The report said the owner of a Ford Expedition was in his home when he saw his car lights come on, and by the time he got outside the vehicle had been stolen.

The owner was able to track the vehicle using a tracking device, and police tracked down Rios who was with the vehicle, the report said.

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Jonathan Rios
Miami-Dade Corrections
Jonathan Rios

Rios claimed he had been given the keys to the Expedition, the report said.

But a Miami-Dade man who had his Cadillac Escalade stolen from his driveway last month told NBC 6 that detectives told him Rios is the same person who stole his SUV.

Experts warn that thieves are using signals from key fobs to break into cars. NBC 6's Willard Shepard reports

In that theft, surveillance footage showed two men stealing the Escalade in the middle of the night using some kind of device.

Police and tech experts said the suspects used a device that intercepts the signal from a car's key fob, the signal that opens the door and can start the car.

Miami-Dade jail records showed Rios is facing multiple grand theft of a vehicle charges, and was on probation for a kidnapping case. Attorney information wasn't available.

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