This is how the ruse functions. A prospective carjacker will “mark” a car they wish to steal by pressing a water bottle up against the wheel. To hide it from the driver when they get in, they placed the bottle on the front passenger side wheel.
The empty plastic bottle crackles and creates a lot of other unsettling noises when the driver tries to move the vehicle. Most drivers stop their cars and get out to see what they ran over as their initial course of action. The carjacker then makes his move!
All a criminal has to do to escape is enter the car and drive away if a motorist leaves the keys inside while it is running. The owner is left looking foolish on the curb. Additionally, the burglar might simply take advantage of the situation to enter the vehicle and take goods that were left behind, like a wallet or cellphone. As soon as the driver gets out of the car to investigate the noise, they put themselves in danger.
