SPOKANE, Wash. — A KREM 2 employee had their car broken into recently.
While this isn't unheard of in Spokane, we did find it interesting the method the thieves used to break the window.
They used a spark plug. Spokane Police say this method isn't uncommon.
"This has been going on for quite a few years now." Officer John O'Brien said. "It's easy to conceal, it's a very small item and it can be done in a matter of seconds."
He said there have been cases where someone will even tie the spark plug to the end of a string and swing it at the window to break in. But he's seen other methods as well, saying vehicle prowlers will use any means to break in.
"Whether they kick their window out with their foot they pick up a rock in your yard to bust the window out," Officer O'Brien said. "They carry things with them--hammers in their backpack."
Some cars have even been broken into without damage to the windows. O'Brien said that's because car prowlers are finding ways to hack new vehicle technology that can unlock car doors.
"We have not come across a person with a device like that," O'Brien said. "But in the age of the internet, I believe you could probably find a device that is defeating car system security."
But why a spark plug?
Employees at a local Napa Auto told KREM 2 there's a few reasons. It's cheap, small, heavy and can do a lot of damage despite it's size.