No broken glass after a car break-in? Key fob signals could explain why

After repeated car break-ins that left no shattered windows, a spokesman for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said conversations with police led him to a precaution: storing vehicle key fobs in a signal-blocking pouch.

Casey McNerthney told “Seattle’s Morning News” that he and his wife had their cars broken into at least six times last year. In their cases, he said, the absence of broken glass raised questions about how someone gained access.

“I was talking to a couple of police officers, and I said, ‘Hey, you know, the weird thing is the glass wasn’t shattered in our cases,’” McNerthney said.

The officers suggested thieves could have been using equipment to amplify a key fob’s radio signal, allowing another person near the vehicle to open a door, he said.

McNerthney emphasized that his explanation was a simplified version of what police described, rather than a technical account.

Repeated break-ins prompt change in how McNerthney stores keys

The conversation prompted advice he shared with listeners: Keep key fobs in a pouch designed to block their signals, including when the keys are stored at home.

According to McNerthney, the officers described a possible two-person operation. One person uses a device to amplify the fob’s signal, while another tries to open the vehicle.

A fob kept near the front door could be accessible to that equipment, he said. That was where he and his wife had been leaving their keys.

“You probably leave it close to the door, and we did at that time,” McNerthney said.

The officers recommended buying a small signal-blocking bag and placing the key fobs inside.

He described noticing a dome light left on or a door standing ajar, followed by the realization that the car had been prowled.

“It’s so frustrating,” he said. “I shouldn’t have waited until the sixth break-in to ask about it.”

For McNerthney, the practical takeaway was understanding why a signal-blocking pouch might belong where someone stores their keys at home.

Manda Factor is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. Follow Manda on X and email her here. 

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