Police say relay and reprogramming thefts are on the rise in Waterloo region, here are the most-targeted vehicles

Police believe tech-savvy thieves are behind the theft of two vehicles from Cambridge this week.

Police believe tech-savvy thieves are behind the theft of two vehicles from Cambridge this week.

According to The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS), sometime overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, suspects stole two parked vehicles from driveways in south Cambridge.

Both vehicles were Toyota Highlanders, described as newer, high-end vehicles with keyless entry and push-start technology. The thefts happened on Haskell Road near McNichol Drive and on Bloomington Drive near Carpenter Road.

The vehicles were recovered in St. George on Thursday morning, both with similar damage to the driver’s door handle and the headliner pulled down at the trunk, exposing wiring harnesses.

Police believe the thefts were related and were stolen using reprogramming technology.

“The suspects will approach the vehicle and force entry inside. Once inside the vehicle, an electronic device is used to access the vehicle's diagnostics. The suspects then reprogram a blank key fob so the vehicle can be started,” WRPS said in a news release.