Vehicle thefts rise in N Carolina after 10-year decline

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Vehicle thefts are on the rise again in North Carolina after a decade-long decline.

The State Bureau of Investigation says 15,007 vehicles were stolen in North Carolina in 2016. That was nearly 4,000 more stolen vehicles than the year before, but a steep decline from the nearly 30,000 stolen vehicles reported in 2006.

Authorities aren't sure what caused the increase, but say new technology that allows thieves to intercept a key fob signal and replicate it so the car can be stolen could be a factor.