Online exclusive: Interview with 'The Car Theft Bandit'

At times the 22-year-old admitted thief was brazen, announcing himself over the phone as "The (expletive) Car Thief Bandit."

But several times, apparently afraid he was being set up, he hung up, once after learning he would not be paid for giving an interview.

The Bee wanted to interview an accomplished car thief. Two men police say were among the most prolific car thieves in the county immediately came to mind: One who allegedly stole a semi stacked with new cars and unloaded a Porsche, which he later crashed before evading police; and another who, when arrested in August, boasted to officers that he had stolen hundreds of cars in his life, including 12 in one weekend.

Both men are in county jail awaiting trial. Both declined requests to be interviewed.

But Car Thief Bandit agreed to talk, if only briefly and sporadically. Investigators with the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force directed The Bee to a family member of the Bandit, who arranged the interview.

With the family member on the line in a three-way call, Bandit discussed car theft from an insider's view.

"I'm not going to say I'm the best, man, but I sure am one of the best," he said as a way of introducing himself, full of bravado when he answered the phone.

Bandit is a Modesto native. He is a meth addict who has been stealing cars with his girlfriend - also hooked on meth - for five years.

He has never had a job, "besides stealing cars," the family member said. And he has never been caught. "He's got away just in the nick of time a couple times," the family member said.

On average, Bandit said he steals a car every other night. He targets Hondas and pickups because the ignitions are easier to start without a key.

He uses the vehicle for temporary transportation. Then he steals the valuables and, typically, drives it into an orchard where he sets it on fire, to destroy any fingerprints.

Police said about 10 percent of all stolen cars in the county are found burned in rural settings.

Bandit takes the radio, the tires and rims, anything left inside, to support his meth addiction. He sells the stolen goods, although he did not say where.

When asked how he steals a car, Bandit said: "Just get in 'em and (expletive) peel 'em to the ignition, jam a screwdriver in, and peel the (expletive)."

In layman's terms, according to Lt. Jeff Morris, commander of the Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force, that means Bandit jams a tool - usually a screwdriver - into the steering column and breaks out the ignition. Inside the steering column is a lever that, when triggered, signals the car to start. On many cars, especially older models, the lever can be triggered with a screwdriver, sometimes even a finger.

Car owners often make Bandit's job easier by leaving their cars unlocked, so he usually doesn't have to break into the vehicles. If he has to, though, he'll just smash out the window with the sharp end of a spark plug.

Sometimes Bandit targets cars specifically for what's inside, like an expensive stereo system. If Bandit sees, for instance, a car driving along the street with loud music blaring, he'll follow and wait for the driver to leave the car and enter a home.

Bandit then approaches the car while a buddy stands guard at a distance, armed with a gun. If the owner leaves the home, the friend shoots into the air. The shot serves two purposes: to warn Bandit that trouble is approaching and to scare the owner back inside so Bandit can escape.

Bandit said he can steal almost any car, even if they have the Club. Bandit apparently has a way around those devices, but he didn't reveal his secret.

It's not all bad news for car owners: Bandit said he stays clear of cars with alarms.

When asked why he steals cars, Bandit hung up again.

The family member, though, offered his insight:

"When he gets on the meth, it's like the meth is only part of the high," he said. "Stealing the car is like another high altogether. You mix the two and it's like more than a normal high."

The family member added that Bandit is angry with the world, that he feels society owes him something, and that's also why he steals cars.

"He says he tries to fit in, he tries to get a job, but society rejects him," he said. "He feels like society owes him for that."

Bee staff writer Chris Togneri can be reached at 578-2324 or ctogneri@modbee.com.