Eight Police Cars Respond After CarLock Detects GMC Sierra Theft Attempt

Theo was asleep in his 11th-floor apartment when his phone suddenly alerted him early in the morning.

The message on the screen was clear: Vibration Detected.

‘I awoke to my CarLock alarm going off at 4:19 am,’ Theo said. ‘I looked at my phone and saw the message: Vibration Detected!’

Theo and his partner immediately jumped out of bed. His partner headed down the hallway toward the elevator to check on their truck—a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 parked on the street below.

Meanwhile, Theo stepped onto the apartment balcony overlooking the street and listened carefully.

He could hear a vehicle engine running, but it was not his truck. His view was partially blocked by the tall redwood trees outside the building, making it difficult to see exactly what was happening below.

Then more CarLock alerts appeared.

Theo realized that someone might be attempting to steal his truck and immediately called 911.

A Play-by-Play for the Police Dispatcher

While Theo was speaking with the emergency dispatcher, he suddenly saw his truck’s red taillights illuminate.

Then he heard the unmistakable sound of someone trying to start the engine.

‘The dispatcher got a play-by-play of everything that was going on,’ Theo said.

The dispatcher told Theo that police officers were already on their way. Just a couple of minutes later, eight patrol cars arrived with their lights flashing and blocked the only entrance to the street.

‘I couldn’t believe how many police cars and officers there were,’ Theo said. ‘I told them, “The cavalry has arrived.” I was shocked!’

The officers explained that they had been meeting only a couple of blocks away, which allowed them to respond almost immediately.

By the time they arrived, Theo’s truck was still in its parking space, but the would-be thieves had already escaped.

The Thieves Had Gone to Great Lengths

At first, the truck appeared untouched.

It was dark, and there were no obvious signs of damage visible from outside. However, once Theo and the officers opened the door, they discovered how much effort the thieves had put into trying to steal the vehicle.

The thieves had apparently tried several ways to enter the truck before placing some type of device beneath the door’s keyhole.

Once inside, they sawed through Theo’s double steering-wheel lock. They also cut through the steering wheel itself several times and disassembled parts of the steering column while attempting to start the truck.

Despite all that work, they were unable to drive away.

Theo had previously removed an essential working part from the engine, disabling the truck and preventing it from starting.

The additional security measure had stopped the engine from running—but CarLock made sure Theo knew that the attempted theft was happening.

Without CarLock, Theo Might Not Have Known for Days

Theo had not been driving the GMC Sierra regularly. Without CarLock, the damaged steering wheel, steering column, and door might have gone unnoticed for quite some time.

‘I wouldn’t have known that someone had tried to steal my vehicle for quite a while because I haven’t been driving that vehicle,’ Theo said.

That delay could have given the thieves another opportunity.

According to Theo, the officers warned him that when thieves cannot start a vehicle, they sometimes remain at the scene, open the hood, and attempt to find and repair whatever is preventing the engine from running.

Instead, CarLock’s vibration alerts woke Theo immediately. He called 911 while the attempted theft was still taking place, and the rapid police response forced the thieves to abandon the truck.

The Police Presence May Have Protected Other Vehicles Too

While the officers were blocking the street, Theo noticed another vehicle slowly cruising through the neighborhood.

He believes the rapid response and the sight of eight police vehicles with flashing lights may have discouraged more theft attempts that night.

‘Being alerted by CarLock so quickly and having eight police vehicles there probably saved my vehicle—and possibly other vehicles in our neighborhood—from being stolen,’ Theo said.

Although the thieves damaged parts of the truck, they did not manage to take it. More importantly, Theo was alerted while there was still time to act.

Why Theo Bought CarLock

Theo originally purchased CarLock because his GMC Sierra did not have another alarm system.

He also knew that trucks like his could be relatively easy targets for thieves and wanted an additional layer of security.

‘I don’t have any other alarms on this vehicle, and these kinds of trucks are pretty easy to steal,’ Theo said. ‘I wanted just one extra layer of security. Also, I don’t like my stuff being stolen!’

Before buying CarLock, Theo did not have any significant concerns about the product.

‘I just thought, what a brilliant idea!’

That idea proved its value at 4:19 in the morning.

One vibration alert woke Theo. Additional alerts confirmed that something serious was happening. A call to 911 brought officers to the scene within minutes—and a 2004 GMC Sierra remained safely in its parking space.

When asked whether he would recommend CarLock to other vehicle owners, Theo’s answer was simple:

‘Yes—to everyone. There are so many cars being stolen, so why not?’