DALLAS — A man fired from an auto dealership used an Internet service to remotely disable ignitions and set off car horns of more than 100 vehicles sold at his old workplace, police said Wednesday.
Austin police arrested Omar Ramos-Lopez, 20, on Wednesday, charging him with felony breach of computer security.
Ramos-Lopez used a former colleague’s password to deactivate starters and set off car horns, police said. Several car owners said they had to call tow trucks and were stranded at work or home.
“He caused these customers, now victims, to miss work,” police spokeswoman Veneza Aguinaga said.
Ramos-Lopez was in the Travis County Jail with bail at $3,000.
The Texas Auto Center dealership in Austin installs GPS devices that can prevent cars from starting. The system is used to repossess cars when buyers are overdue on payments, according to the dealership.
