Thieves with AK-47 style guns steal truck in west of Phoenix

WADDELL, AZ (AZFamily) — The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating at least two vehicle thefts within the Waddell area, including one caught on video where one thief is seen carrying an AK-47-style rifle.

On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office reported two recent car thefts near Citrus Road and Peoria Avenue, including one captured on a Ring security camera mounted above a driveway.

In the video, a white Chevrolet Camaro pulls up to the home, and two masked suspects get one. One begins working on getting into a pickup truck parked in the driveway, while the other is seen pointing a rifle toward the front door of the home.

“They knew they were going to be gone. In and out, five minutes, wearing hoods and gloves, knowing they weren’t going to get caught,” said resident Michael Florent. “and if I would have walked out, they would have shot me.”

The video clip shows one of the thieves starting the truck while the armed suspect jumps in the backseat. Both vehicles then drive away.

That incident happened around 2:30 am, which was followed by another truck theft soon after.

“Yeah, it stinks. You don’t think this will happen to you,” Florent said. “You work hard. You do your job, and something like this happens.”

Wireless key fobs have been the latest target for tech-savvy thieves, who use tablets to break into cars, disconnect them from OnStar and drive away without the keys.

“It’s just scary that anyone can just plug in a little tablet into your data port and start your truck and leave,” Florent said.

The sheriff’s office said they are investigating a home break-in that happened near 79th and Peoria avenues, which is on a county island. Investigators can’t confirm whether the thefts and break-in involve organized groups or copycats, or even if these instances are related.

Detectives are dedicating extra resources and gathering intelligence from other law enforcement agencies investigating similar cases.

The sheriff’s office urges anyone with information to call its TIPS line at 602-876-TIPS (8477) or 602-876-1011.

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