Texas Law Enforcement Department Warnings were issued to Ford F-Series owners after Ford F-Series owners decomposed organized crime rings for popular vehicle models.
Three Texas men face charges over alleged stripping taillights from dozens of high-end Ford trucks, suggesting a new trend in vehicle theft puts owners on high alert.
Jimmy Dean Miller, Jaleel D.
According to the Webster Police Department, the ring was operated between September 2024 and January 2025, targeting 34 victims.
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From left, Sergio Giovanni Sanfilippo, Jimmy Dean Miller and Jaleel D. Jaleel D. (Webster Police Department; David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Image)
Miller, Fasion and Sanfilippo travel between I-45 highway corridors Houston and Galveston, According to the authorities. Officials rely on surveillance to track suspects into high traffic areas, finally identifying the possible causes of the arrest.
According to police, most of the vehicles the three men targeted were F-350s. The latest truck model costs over $100,000.
“We found out from Luxury Ford Vehicles Webster Police Chief Pete Bacon told Fox News Digital. “We believe these taillights contain specific sensors that are part of the entire (luxury) system and cost a lot of money.”
Once the thieves can enter the vehicle’s tailgate, they can remove the lights by unscrewing the lights from the truck and then taking them off in seconds with the loot.
Bacon told Fox News that if they have two or three people working continuously, they can remove the lights in a minute. ”
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Ford F-150 pickup truck on July 22, 2022 at a dealership in Colmar, California. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bacon believes taillights are sold online to truck owners who are looking for alternatives but may not want to pay retail prices. The survey shows that the three people are in Facebook Marketplace, Police said there was a victim who might buy his own headlights.
Bacon encourages drivers to take precautions to protect their vehicles.
Drivers can buy aftermarket tailgate locks or scrape a series of numbers into the interior of taillights, and if stolen, they can be identified. Truck owners should consult their truck’s dealership to ensure that any safety measures do not affect their warranty.
Ford logo on trucks at the Detroit Auto Show in Huntington Square on January 10, 2025. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Ford did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Court records show the three people face criminal charges of theft. The fees were charged but have been released from custody, while Sanfilippo is currently in Bond.
The District Attorney’s Office told Fox News Digital that a district court judge ruled that no possible cause was found in Miller’s case, but prosecutors are planning to charge through a grand jury.
The Webster Police Department worked with the Galveston County Auto Crime Task Force, the Alliance City Police Department and the Westbrook Police Department to arrest the suspect.
Police say the Ford F-350 is a common target for thieves. (Ford)
Bacon warns that while this starts with regional issues, the possibility of imitating criminals and truck owners may take precautions to protect their vehicles.
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“Once a bunch of thieves figure out which niche they are going to, we may have more,” Bacon said. “There are other rings for taillights. I don’t think these three arrests will be, and the issue will end.”. ”