Accidentally hitting the rear view mirror of a car is an action that most motorcyclists have inadvertently carried out at some point when trying to move between two rows of cars. It is a situation that usually occurs in traffic jams and also when the traffic light is red. In most cases, this fact does not go too far, since the person on the motorcycle usually apologizes and the driver of the car accepts the gesture, seeing that there has been no bad faith.
However, in recent times there is a proliferation of motorcyclists who are dedicated to intentionally hitting the left rear-view mirror of a car that is driving. This is a strategy used by criminals with the intention of distracting the driver of the car in order to steal his watch.
The National Police warns of this method used by criminals to steal luxury watches from car drivers. In a video broadcast on their social networks, a body agent explains the modus operandi used by thieves to carry out the operation.
The agent recounts that the thieves used two motorcycles to carry out the robbery. A person who is on the first motorcycle hits the left mirror of the car -generally high-end- to change its position. Upon impact, the driver of the car will most likely lower the window glass and extend his arm to return the mirror to its previous position.
While the person in the car rectifies the position of the rear-view mirror, a second motorcycle appears with two new criminals. They look carefully if the driver of the car is wearing a watch and if so, if it is luxury. If they notice that it is a valuable object, one of the people who travel on a motorcycle -usually the one who is in the package- grabs his hand tightly until he immobilizes it and takes the valuable object from him. With no time for him to react, the bikers quickly disappear.
The method of hitting the rear-view mirror to rob the driver of a car was the one used by some criminals to steal the watch of the Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov in Barcelona last April. The athlete was in Barcelona to take part in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-Conde de Godó Tournament when he was robbed while traveling by car on Avinguda de Sarrià by some criminals on a motorcycle.
The thieves folded the rear-view mirror of the car and at the moment that Dimitrov reached out to replace the mirror, the criminals ripped off his watch. The piece that was taken from him is valued at 70,000 euros.
The strategy of misleading their victims is a tactic that thieves often use to rob the occupants of a vehicle. One of the most frequent scenarios for these actions takes place in service areas and they are usually carried out in a group of at least three people.
His methodology consists of identifying the victim and approaching her with any excuse to get her attention. While entertaining her, the accomplice opens the passenger door and takes her purse, wallet, cell phone, or any other valuables he has on hand. After obtaining the loot, the criminals get into the car of a third individual who is waiting for them with the engine running to flee in a hurry.
Not as sophisticated, but just as effective for stealing valuables from inside a car is the plastic bottle trick. This strategy consists of placing a bottle of this material between the wheel and the fender of the car. When the driver of the vehicle immediately starts, he is surprised by a strange noise that alerts that something is wrong. So, he stops the car and gets out of it.
If, as happens on most occasions, you are carried away by a spontaneous reaction and do not close the car door, thieves can access the passenger compartment with complete impunity to steal valuables or even steal the car if it is running.
