Is your vehicle safe from car thieves? Suspect tells all

A car theft suspect arrested with three others on Friday on board a stolen vehicle gave police descriptions of their vehicles of choice and the way they operate.

Edelberto Marteja, 21, alleged leader of the Marteja-Briones Gang, admitted to police that certain types of vehicles are popular among their “clients.”

Superintendent Ferdinand Villanueva, chief of the district anticarnapping unit, said these vehicles carry plate numbers with the letters N or P, or are still about to be registered.

License plates with N or P were released from 2009 to 2011 and are considered newer models, Villanueva said.

Marteja told police that he used an ordinary screw driver to break into parked vehicles released before 1997.

Once inside the vehicle, he uses a pick or a key to start the engine as ignition keys of most older models are already worn out, he said.

On the other hand, vehicles that are still up for registration can be easily sold as these cannot be easily identified or spotted on the road, Marteja said.

One way to secure vehicles, Villanueva said, is to use a lock to immobilize steering wheels, but such locks could be also dismantled, although it would take time.

The police official suggested the temporary removal of the car battery if the vehicle is unattended for a long time. Motorcycle owners can also remove their CDIs (capacitator discharge ignition), he said.