Texas law enforcement issued a word of warning to Ford F-series truck owners after they broke up an organized crime ring targeting the popular vehicle model.

Three Texas men are facing charges for allegedly stripping the taillights off dozens of high-end Ford trucks, indicating a new trend of vehicle thefts that has owners on high alert. 

Jimmy Dean Miller, Jaleel D. Fasion and Sergio Giovanni Sanfilippo are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity after police say the trio stole over $92,000 worth of taillights. 

The ring operated between September 2024 and January 2025, targeting 34 victims, according to the Webster Police Department. 

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Miller, Fasion and Sanfilippo traveled throughout the I-45 highway corridor between Houston and Galveston, according to authorities. Officers relied on surveillance to track the suspects as they entered high-traffic areas, ultimately establishing probable cause for the arrests. 

Most of the vehicles targeted by the three men were F-350s, according to police. The latest models of the trucks can cost more than $100,000. 

"We found that taillights from luxury Ford vehicles were being stolen," Webster Police Chief Pete Bacon told Fox News Digital. "We believe the reason is that these taillights contain specific sensors, and these sensors are part of the entire [luxury] system and cost a lot of money." 

Once thieves have access to the tailgate of a vehicle, they can remove the lights by simply unscrewing them from the truck, making off with the loot within a matter of seconds. 

"If they have two or three guys working in conjunction, they can get these lights removed in under a minute," Bacon told Fox News Digital. 

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Bacon believes that the taillights were being sold online to truck owners who are looking for replacements but may not want to pay retail price. The investigation revealed that the trio sold the stolen parts on sites such as Facebook Marketplace, with one victim possibly purchasing his own headlights back, police said.

Bacon encourages drivers to take precautions to protect their vehicles.

Drivers can purchase aftermarket tailgate locks or scratch a series of numbers into the inside of their taillights, making them identifiable if they are stolen, according to Bacon. Truck owners should consult their truck’s dealership to ensure any security measures do not impact their warranty. 

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Ford did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Court records indicate that the three men are facing criminal charges for the thefts. Fasion is charged but has been released from custody and Sanfilippo is currently out on bond. 

A magistrate judge ruled that no probable cause was found in Miller’s case, but prosecutors are planning to refile the charges through a grand jury, the district attorney’s office told Fox News Digital. 

The Webster Police Department worked with the Galveston County Auto Crimes Task Force, League City Police Department and Seabrook Police Department to apprehend the suspects.

Bacon warns that although this began as a regional issue, there is a likelihood of copycat criminals and truck owners should take precautions to protect their vehicles. 

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"Once a group of thieves figures out what kind of niche they're going after, then we'll probably have more," Bacon said. "There's going to be other rings out there targeting taillights. I don't think with these three arrests, that this problem is going to end."

An unflinching 71-year-old woman gave a group of would-be teen muggers a taste of their own medicine when they tried to mug the senior on her way to church on New Year’s Day.

The gutsy straphanger fought off the four female teens as they punched and stomped on her during the botched robbery on the New York City subway system, the latest in a string of crimes on the Big Apple’s crime-ridden transit network.

The victim was on her way to a church service on New Year's Day in Brooklyn at around 6 p.m. when she got off a Number 3 train at Hoyt Station – only to be set upon by the teens, according to the NYPD and a New York Post report. 

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Police say the four suspects tried to steal the woman’s bag and struck her on the body. The NYPD released video of the group smiling as they pass through subway turnstiles and police say they are still on the loose. They have asked for the public's help in tracking them down. 

The woman, identified by the Post as Linda Rosa from East New York, detailed the disturbing attack to the publication, saying she was adamant she would not be robbed. 

Rosa said after one of the teens tried to grab her purse while a second also tried to get her sticky fingers on it, asking the senior if she wanted to fight. 

The first teen then smacked Rosa in the face, knocking her glasses to the floor, while the second teen managed to snatch a pocket pouch that held Rosa’s ID and medical records, she said. 

"I was still wrestling with the first person," Rosa told the Post. "Then I was trying to kick her in between her legs, but my leg wouldn’t stretch far enough, so I believe that’s when I fell. I fell, and then she stomped on me." 

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Fearing the law flouting teens would stomp her in the head, Rosa said she fought back. 

"So I got up right away, and with that, I grabbed her braids and twirled them around my right hand, and then I pulled her down. She had her head down," Rosa said. "Then the other young lady said, ‘Let her go.’ And I said, ‘Oh, no, I’m not letting her go.’"

The plucky senior yelled out for someone to help her and then the second teen came for her again. 

"So out of nowhere, I grabbed her hair and twisted it around my left hand," Rosa said. "So I had them both facedown….[like] rams when they’re getting ready to fight."

Rosa said the other two teens screamed at her to let the pair go and Rosa then yelled for help.

The senior eventually cut them loose and the stunned teens bolted from the subway system.

Rosa then headed to the nearby Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, where the staff tended to her and called 911, per the Post.

Police tell Fox News Digital that the victim sustained minor injuries and was taken by EMS to The Brooklyn Hospital Center in stable condition.

She told the Post that she was thankful they did not have weapons and that the frightening ordeal didn’t spark a heart attack.

Nevertheless, she said she forgives them.

"They do not know what they do," Rosa told the Post. "They don’t know what they did. It’s just teenagers acting foolish."

She said that nobody is safe in New York City’s subway system or on the streets these days. 

"It could happen to anybody," Rosa said. "Now we’re seeing seniors getting attacked. Anywhere – it can happen anywhere, any station. You could be walking down the street. You could be crossing the street."

The attack came just a day after a 45-year-old man was shoved into an oncoming subway train in Manhattan. He suffered a head injury and was miraculously listed in stable condition. 

Days earlier, police say an illegal immigrant from Guatemala heinously set on fire and burned a woman to death on a subway train in Brooklyn, New York.

The crimes come despite New York Governor Kathy Hochul touting the subway system as safe.

A Colorado man allegedly attempted to rob a bank but left with nothing after handing a note to a teller who was unable to decipher what he had written, according to police.

The incident happened shortly before 5 p.m. on Dec. 17 at First National Bank at 750 North Lincoln Ave. in Loveland, Colorado, according to the Loveland Police Department.

Police said the man walked into the bank and handed the teller a note.

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The teller, however, had a difficult time reading the note since it was allegedly almost completely illegible, according to CBS Colorado.

The man allegedly grew frustrated as the teller was struggling to read the note, so he quickly left the bank, the outlet noted.

AURORA, COLORADO, POLICE SAY HOME INVASION 'WITHOUT QUESTION' TREN DE ARAGUA GANG ACTIVITY

Police are still searching for the suspect.

The man was captured in surveillance images wearing a brown hoodie, green pants, a green baseball cap, sunglasses and brown gloves.

After the homes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow were burglarized in recent weeks, the ring has hit the NBA.

Luka Dončić's home was broken into Friday night, his business manager, Lara Beth Seager, told ESPN.

Nobody was home at the time of the burglary, and everyone is safe, Seager said.

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The crime occurred two days after Dončić' sustained a calf strain, which will cause him to miss roughly a month.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported last month that the FBI is investigating the crime spree, "which is believed to be tied to a South American crime syndicate." 

The NFL cautioned players to be on high alert after homes were targeted last month that were believed to be tied to international organized crime. 

The targeted NFL stars all had their homes burglarized while they were playing road games. Dončić's Dallas Mavericks were in Phoenix Friday playing against the Suns.

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In the memo, the league also urged players to take precautions, including installing home security systems. They were also encouraged not to post images of expensive items or live updates of their whereabouts on social media. 

"I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one. And way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share. So, that's all I got to say about that," Burrow said earlier this month.

"We live a public life, and one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy. And that has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career. Still learning. But I understand it's the life that we choose. Doesn't make it any easier to deal with."

Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

A prankster was recently arrested and charged after allegedly spraying bug killer on food in an Arizona Walmart, police say.

Charles Smith, 27, was charged with felony-level poisoning and misdemeanor-level criminal damage, in addition to misdemeanor charges of endangerment and theft. The Mesa Police Department confirmed the arrest in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The incident began on Dec. 19 at around 8:30 p.m., police said, when the suspect entered a Mesa Walmart "intending to film pranks for social media." He then grabbed a can of bug killer "without paying for it," according to the police's statement.

According to the authorities, Smith aimed the spray at both produce and prepared food items, such as rotisserie chickens.

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"He then sprayed the pesticide on various produce items, including vegetables, fruit, and rotisserie chickens that were available for purchase," the Mesa Police Department's statement said. "Smith filmed his face, the pesticide can, and the act of spraying. He later posted the video online."

Smith later voluntarily turned himself in and admitted to the crimes.

"Through investigative means, and with assistance from the Tempe Police Department, detectives were able to identify Smith as the suspect," the statement added. "Mesa Police contacted Smith and he turned himself in voluntarily. During the interview, Smith admitted to the theft and spraying of the pesticide."

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"Thanks to the tireless work of our officers and detectives, an arrest occurred less than 24 hours after police were notified of the incident," the police department continued. "We also extend our gratitude to the Tempe Police Department for their valuable contributions and collaboration in quickly solving this case."

Authorities added that the incident exemplifies "the potential dangers of reckless actions disguised as social media pranks."

On Sunday, Walmart told Fox News Digital that customer safety "is always a top priority," and confirmed that all tainted products were removed from shelves.

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"We have removed all directly impacted product and have cleaned and sanitized the affected area of the store," the company continued. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers as we work to resolve this issue. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement during their investigation."

Several suspected members of the bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua (TdA) were busted hiding out in a New York City apartment building located next to a daycare center, a law enforcement source tells Fox News, underlining how the gang has immersed itself among the general population in the sanctuary city. 

The New York Post was first to report on the Bronx bust with the publication reporting that seven suspected members of TdA – which has been terrorizing cities across the nation following – were arrested inside the apartment building and were sought on multiple warrants after crossing the US border with Mexico. 

The raid on the Bronx five-story apartment building, which is located next to the Doña Juana Day Care facility, took place on Dec. 5 and was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the NYPD's federal task force, a law enforcement source tells Fox News. A separate raid took place in Brooklyn with 22 suspected members of the gang scooped up in both raids. 

A worker at the daycare center tells Fox News Digital that there were children inside the facility when the raid took place. 

VENEZUELAN GANG MEMBERS LINKED TO VIOLENT APARTMENT TAKEOVER ARRESTED IN NEW YORK CITY

The vicious gang has taken advantage of a lax southern border under the Biden-Harris administration, with many of its foot soldiers swarming the U.S. and unleashing hell on unsuspecting communities. The gang has been engaged in all sorts of violent crime, including murders, shootings of police officers, assaults, robberies and gun smuggling into migrant shelters.

The alleged gangbangers were traced to the Bronx apartment after tracking the ankle monitor of suspected TdA member Jarwin Valero-Calderon to the hideout on the edge of Crotona Park, sources told The Post. Crotona Park is where President-elect Trump held a campaign rally in May. 

The NYPD confirmed to Fox News that Valero-Calderon was one of those who was taken into custody on Dec. 5 on a federal arrest warrant. 

According to the Post, Valero-Calderon entered the U.S. at Eagle Pass, Texas, in August 2022 and was released with a court date. In the meantime, he racked up a long rap sheet in multiple states before being ordered deported in April but was still on the loose on Dec. 5, the Post reports, citing sources.

Valero-Calderon reported to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in New York City in September 2022 but then went on his crime spree.

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He was twice busted on larceny charges in New York and New Jersey with a conviction in June 2023. He was also arrested on a separate petty larceny conviction in Nassau County on April 24, 2023, before being arrested in Florida in February for fraud, larceny and resisting arrest, according to the Post.

Other suspected TdA members arrested in the raid, according to the Post, include Angel Gabriel Marquez Rodriguez, 19, who was arrested in Chicago last year on a shoplifting charge then four months later was busted on larceny charges in New York City and again three months later.

Jhonaiker Alexander Gil Cardozo, 24, was also arrested by the NYPD on grand larceny and stolen property charges back in July and had two other Big Apple busts in June for reckless endangerment and robbery but was left out on the streets.

Last week, New York City Mayor Adams sat down with incoming border czar Tom Homan and agreed to work with the new Trump administration in weeding out migrant criminals in the city. It was met with pushback by some Democrats.

News of the raids was welcomed by New York City Council Member Joe Borelli of Staten Island. 

"This is a gang that set up camp in our city, and it is beyond the pale that the Democratic Party is entrenched against having the NYPD cooperate with ICE to remove them," Borelli told Fox News Digital. "They are actively recruiting members among the migrant community and unfortunately, spend most of their time terrorizing those very same people."

"Mayor Adams should use every resource available to end the city law that precludes the NYPD from cooperating with ICE because it is specific groups like this that make me question the sanity of people who seek to protect them and ensure they remain here."

Those comments were echoed by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y. who told "Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street" that Democrats have been weakening laws to allow for illegal immigrants, gangs and criminal organizations to stay within New York and "wreak havoc."

"It's good news that we're hearing Eric Adams change tune, but quite frankly, he has the ability right now under existing law to cooperate with Ice detainer requests for people who are hardened criminals for violent offenders, for sex offenders," Malliotakas said. 

Late last month, two members of the violent gang who participated in a caught-on-camera-armed apartment invasion in Aurora, Colorado, were captured in New York City. 

Denyeer Aramillo Meneses, 23, and Edison Pena Angulo, 25, both pictured in the viral video, were nabbed in the Bronx by an NYPD gang task force and Homeland Security in a major credit card scam and drug trafficking bust.

Fifteen suspected members of the notorious gang were picked up after a six-month investigation into the gang’s crimes that led to a drug ring, sources told the New York Post. 

Fox News’ Christina Coulter contributed to this report.

Holiday decoration theft has become an increasingly frustrating issue for many homeowners. Karen from Los Angeles shared her experience with us in an email, stating,

"We have criminals who visit our neighborhood to not only steal mail and packages but also holiday decorations. I made a Christmas decoration for our mailbox, which was promptly stolen."

We’re sorry to hear about the theft in your neighborhood. This highlights a problem that goes beyond mere property loss. It's a theft of holiday cheer and personal effort. Let’s see how we can use technology to help secure your decorations.

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Karen also inquired about the effectiveness of Samsung SmartTags, asking if these tags would work on her decorations and how far they could reach. The good news is that Samsung SmartTags can indeed be used on your holiday decorations. You can attach the SmartTag to any item you want to track. These devices are compatible with most recent Samsung Galaxy phones, including the Galaxy S9, making them accessible to many Android users.

As for the distance, the range of the Samsung SmartTag uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone. If the item is within Bluetooth range, you can ring it to find it or use the "Search Nearby" feature to get directions to it. If the item is out of range, other Samsung devices near the tag will anonymously locate it for you and then let you know where it is. This is done in the background and is encrypted to ensure privacy. The SmartTag does not beep when it’s out of range.

The Samsung SmartTag is compatible with almost all Samsung Galaxy phones released recently. They must have 2GB of RAM and run Android 8.0 (Oreo) or higher. So, your Samsung Galaxy S9 phones should be compatible with the Samsung SmartTag.

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For those considering a switch to Apple, AirTags present another viable option. Karen asked if she would have problems tracking her decorations with an Apple AirTag. While primarily designed for iOS devices, you can use it with your Android phone as mentioned in our article here, with some limitations. It uses the Find My network, and if another Apple device passes by the AirTag, the Find My network will be notified of the lost item’s location.

The AirTag does not beep when it’s out of range. However, the AirTag’s Precision Finding feature, which provides highly accurate tracking, is only compatible with iPhone 11 series and onwards. If you’re considering purchasing an iPhone, the iPhone 11 would be a relatively inexpensive option that is compatible with the AirTag’s Precision Finding feature.

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Both Samsung SmartTags and Apple AirTags offer extensive tracking capabilities. The SmartTag uses Bluetooth for nearby tracking and relies on other Samsung devices for long-range location. Similarly, AirTags leverage the Find My network, utilizing nearby Apple devices to relay location information.

For Samsung users like Karen, the SmartTag is the natural choice, working seamlessly with Galaxy devices. Those considering Apple might look at the AirTag as an option.

Please note that while these tags can help you track your items, they might not prevent theft as they are not hidden devices and can be removed by someone who recognizes what they are. 

10 THINGS YOU MUST CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING ANY SECURITY CAMERA

1. Use motion-activated cameras: Install motion-activated security cameras to monitor your decorations. Many security cameras send real-time notifications to your phone, allowing you to act quickly if someone tampers with your property.

2. Secure decorations: Consider physically securing your decorations with zip ties, chains or locks. While this won't deter all thieves, it can make stealing more difficult and time-consuming.

3. Light it up: Well-lit areas are less appealing to thieves. Ensure your yard and decorations are adequately lit with outdoor lights, especially in dark corners or near entry points.

4. Engage your neighbors: Create a sense of community by alerting neighbors to thefts and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. A connected neighborhood can act as a strong deterrent.

5. Mark your property: Use invisible ink or engrave your decorations with a unique identifier. If stolen items are recovered, this will help law enforcement return them to you.

6. Report thefts to local law enforcement: Always report thefts, no matter how small. Law enforcement can track patterns and increase patrols in areas with frequent incidents. Providing details may also help them recover stolen items.

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In her email, Karen expressed her frustration: "I know this seems minor... but it’s disheartening to see the things you spend time, money and a little love get stolen." The desire to protect holiday decorations goes beyond material value — it's about safeguarding the joy and effort put into creating a festive atmosphere. As we embrace these technologies, let's also remember the importance of community vigilance and mutual respect.

Have you ever used tracking devices, security cameras, or other gadgets to safeguard your decorations? What worked well, and what would you recommend to others? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

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