Man arrested after reprogramming car theft in Oakville

Halton Police have arrested a man after a reprogramming car theft in Oakville.

Police say they observed a Nissan Rogue travelling beside a Lexus RX350 near Trafalgar Rd. and Dundas St. around 2:50 a.m. yesterday.

The cars split up after a short time.

Officers conducted a traffic stop on the Nissan due to recent reports of Lexus RX350 thefts in the area.

Investigations revealed that the driver had seven blank Lexus key fobs known to facilitate car thefts.

Officers were able to locate the Lexus RX350 in an Oakville residential area and return it to its owner.

42-year-old Luis Ahumada Prieto of Quebec has been charged with seven counts of possession of an automobile master key and possession of a substance.

Preito was released on an Undertaking.

Police are asking residents to take extra caution to avoid their car being stolen:

• Park your vehicle in a locked and secured garage
• Install an on-board diagnostic blocker
• Install a steering wheel lock device
• Combine the above measures with an aftermarket GPS tracking device
• Place vehicle key fob inside a radio frequency shielding bag when not in use
• Lock your vehicle at all times
• Equip your vehicle with an alarm
• Install home security cameras that capture the exterior of your residence, including the driveway
• Take steps to conceal the Vehicle Identification Number (V.I.N.)