SEATTLE — Seattle police said two 18-year-old men were arrested in Pioneer Square early Sunday after officers interrupted an attempted car theft and recovered weapons, stolen IDs, and devices used to reprogram key fobs.
Around 1:35 a.m. on Aug. 31, a man flagged down an officer near Third Avenue South and South Main Street.
He reported his Dodge Charger had a broken window and someone inside the vehicle.
As officers approached, two suspects got out of the car and ran.
Several officers gave chase through the downtown streets. Both suspects were caught within minutes and taken into custody.
Police said the men were armed at the time of their arrests.
A search turned up two handguns, including one with an extended magazine and another equipped with an auto switch, as well as $466 in cash, cell phones, a screwdriver, a window punch, and key fob programmers.
Officers also collected multiple key fobs, driver’s licenses, and a Social Security card believed to be stolen.
“It’s a very unique way to steal a car. You don’t see that very often,” said SPD Detective Eric Munoz.
Munoz says officers were able to stop the thieves before they could create a successful copy of the vehicle’s key.
“Officers were trying to interrupt them while they were doing this process. We saw that the key fob programmer had a failure screen on it, so I don’t know if they would’ve been successful, but because of Seattle police officers, they were not,” he said.
KIRO 7’s Samantha Lomibao went to a local locksmith to see how close the teens were to making a copy of the key.
“There’s a step they did not know about, and it prevented them from programming that key. They were really close. They were moments away from getting that car,” said Reid Block, owner of Seattle Car Keys LLC.
Block uses the same exact Autel key programmer for his own business. He says it takes experience and a lengthy verification process to use it.
“I had to prove I owned a business and I had to provide two pieces of identification,” he explained.
Block advises drivers to manually disconnect certain fuses to make it harder for thieves to start.
“Find your fuse box, find something like ignition or power, whatever it might be, and pull it out at the end of the night,” Block said.
Investigators said the suspects also had a pair of Chrome Hearts Glasses valued at $4,000, which were missing from the Charger.
The car’s ignition was damaged so badly that it could not be driven and had to be towed.
Police estimated the damage at $1,000.
The men were booked into the King County Jail on a list of charges that include attempted motor vehicle theft, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a machine gun, malicious mischief, theft, carrying a pistol unlawfully, altering identifying marks on a firearm, possessing stolen identification, and possessing tools used for auto theft.
They also face charges of obstructing and resisting arrest.
©2025 Cox Media Group
