"On a scale of 1 to 10 I was a 10": Auto thief sheds light on Colorado's car theft epidemic
Hondo Underwood, 33, speaks openly about his criminal past, stealing cars in Colorado at a prodigious clip.
"I can steal your vehicle while you're sitting on your couch. By the time you look out and comprehend what I'm doing, I'm already driving off in your vehicle," said Underwood, during an interview with CBS News Colorado.
Now reformed and on a different, more positive path, Underwood agreed to discuss what he used to do and how he did it, in an effort to help Colorado vehicle owners avoid having their cars, trucks and SUVs stolen. Underwood is now married with three daughters and is a supervisor in a lumber yard.
Colorado led the nation in the number of stolen vehicles in 2021 according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the theft rate continues to rise, although at a slower pace. An estimated 4,007 vehicles are stolen in Colorado every month. Since 2019 Colorado's monthly motor vehicle theft rate increased 120.6%.
Between 2015 and 2017, Underwood caused chaos in metro Denver according to auto theft detectives who continually pursued him.
Lakewood Police Cmdr. Mike Greenwell with the metropolitan auto theft task force says, "Hondo was pretty prolific and was very good at stealing vehicles – mostly Ford trucks. Catching him really wasn't the issue, it was trying to do it in a manner that he would drive off at high rates of speed to avoid being captured. He was pretty prolific for several months until he got tired of going to jail and decided to change his life."
Underwood says he doesn't know precisely how many vehicles he stole, but says it was "multiples of almost every vehicle made" from Honda Civics to Ford F-150 trucks. He told CBS News Colorado he had a troubled upbringing and after he was shot in a drive-by shooting in 2014, he lost his sense of direction.
"So I got into small things, stealing CD players, breaking into cars, dumb stuff," said Underwood. Eventually he realized he could make more money by stealing the whole vehicle instead of just what was inside.
At the time, he said he was doing drugs. Stealing cars meant quick money for more drugs. "For me it was money motivated, but it was also the thrill," he said. Underwood said he would steal cars and sell them for anywhere from $200 for a "beater" up to $4,000 for a nicer vehicle.
Underwood said he would never steal cars in his neighborhood but would gravitate to more affluent neighborhoods where residents were less wary about theft.
"Looking for a vehicle was like trick or treating. You don't go to a poverty neighborhood, you go to the nice neighborhoods. You have people who live in these nice neighborhoods who think they are not at risk and they are the most likely to be at risk." He said he could steal most vehicles in about seven seconds, and he favored stealing larger pickup trucks and SUVs as they could sell for more.
Underwood believed police were less likely to attempt pit maneuvers to stop them. He also avoided trying to steal cars with Onstar systems, GPS tracking or computer chips.
In an attempt to help Coloradans avoid having their vehicles stolen, Underwood offered a series of common sense tips and advice.
He says to not be complacent. Complacency, said Underwood, is the auto thief's ally. Always make sure you lock your car and are attentive to your surroundings.
Never leave packages or personal belongings visible in your vehicle. Underwood believes this is a huge temptation for someone looking for a car to steal, especially if you leave electronics or firearms in your car or SUV. Leaving items in plain view suggests to a thief there might be even more in the trunk.
Always use your garage if you have one. "People aren't going to break in there to get your vehicle," Underwood said. He says If you park your vehicle outside, try to have it covered by a motion sensor light or cameras.
Have a car alarm system which Underwood called a "deterrent." He also said make sure you have a top-of-the-line alarm system.
Don't leave your garage door opener on your visor or in view. He said if a thief steals your car, they will look for identifying information that might lead them to your home. If you left a garage door remote in plain sight, you've given them easy access to your garage, and to your house if the garage is attached.
"The main thing I suggest to anybody, the only way to guarantee your car cannot be stolen is to put a push start button in a hidden place in your car," Underwood said. These are also known as "kill switches" and can cost less than $100 dollars. These anti- theft devices cut off power to your car so the thief may break-in, but won't be able to start the vehicle.
Underwood's career as a car thief came to an end in 2017 after he was arrested and jailed. He eventually ended up in a rehab program and straightened out his life. He says sharing his knowledge "is my way of giving back by helping the community out and paying my debts."
