Look Out, Floridians, Thieves are Targeting F-Series Pickups

The third most stolen vehicle in the country has become a prime target for thieves and vandals in the Sunshine State.

Ford’s F-Series of trucks are some of the most versatile usable pickups on the road. While that’s a great thing for owners, it’s also a curse, as the pickups garner a lot of attention from thieves and vandals. As USA Today reported last year, the Ford F-Series was the third most stolen vehicle in 2015, which is a trend that appears to be holding true this year.

According to a report by Fox 4, the Ford F-Series has become a popular car with vandals and thieves in Lee County, Fla. As the outlet reports, two F-Series pickups were vandalized at Lee County hotels on June 30. Police officers were reportedly called to the Holiday Inn in Bonita Springs, Fla. in the morning where the victim stated an individual attempted to break into his Ford F-350. The thief damaged the ignition on the truck, but didn’t get away with the vehicle.

Fox 4 reports that another thief managed to get away with thousands of dollars in tools out of another owner’s Ford F-250 at approximately the same time at a Hilton Garden Inn, pictured above, 11 miles from the scene of the incident in Bonita Springs.

“The Ford F-150 to F-350 is the vehicle that is most often stolen, they are the number three most stolen vehicle in the country,” said retired police chief Walter Zalisko.

In the past few months, Ford F-Series owners in Lee County have become the targets of thefts and vandalism. Fox 4 reports that thieves went after F-150 pickups on May 5 at the Embassy Suites on Corkscrew Road. A week later, on May 12, thieves targeted more F-150 trucks at a Hampton Inn in Estero, Fla.

One would imagine that the thieves would be smart enough lay off of government vehicles, but that isn’t the case, as the report claims that a group of crooks attempted to steal a trailer belonging to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently, as well. Trying to steal cars is a stupid idea, but attempting to steal a piece of government property is even more idiotic.

Daryl Meisner, general manager at the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites, claims that the hotels have overnight security guards on patrol to limit the amount of thefts. And the hotels also provide customers with a notice warning them on the dangers of utilizing the parking lot.

“We put out a flyer and we have information that we put in our room that says the parking lot is a park-at-risk area,” said Meisner.

While the thieves managed to damage multiple F-Series pickups in the area, Fox 4 reports that they didn’t get away with the vehicles, which is a good thing. For F-Series owners around the country, now is a good time to beef up the security on your pickup truck.