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Aptly-named Hooligans motorcycle gang charged with stealing 150 Jeep Wranglers

Nine members of the Tijuana, Mexico-based Hooligans motorcycle gang are facing federal charges, accused of stealing 150 Jeep Wranglers in San Diego County, then moving them across the border, where they were sold or stripped for parts. "The joy ride is over for these Hooligans," said Deputy U.S. Attorney Mark Conover. "For many of us, our cars are our most valuable possessions," he said. "These arrests have put the brakes on an organization that has victimized neighborhoods in a different way, by stealing something very personal, something that has required a lot of sacrifice to purchase." Conover said the gang also stole dozens of motorcycles. The indictment alleges that the gang used old-fashioned shoe leather, a high-tech device, and a specific Chrysler dealership to pull off the thefts. San Diego County faced a rash of Wrangler thefts in 2014. Conover says most of the Jeeps were stolen in the middle of the night, and most were equipped with alarms, yet no alarm ever went off. Police were perplexed about that until they caught a break. On Sept. 26, 2014, a Jeep was stolen out of a driveway in Rancho Bernardo, where a security camera showed the thieves' method. Based on what they saw in the surveillance footage, officers sent Chrysler a list of 20 Jeeps that had been stolen and asked whether anyone had requested duplicate keys - and sure enough, a duplicate had been issued for all 20 - and all from the same dealership, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The indictment alleges that the Hooligans would case a specific Jeep days ahead of stealing it, and would take down its vehicle identification number. Somehow they managed to obtain the secret key codes that would allow them to request a duplicate key for that particular Jeep. During the theft, the indictment says, the Hooligans would disable the alarms system, program the duplicate key using a handheld device, then simply drive away. The fact that Jeeps' engine bays can be easily accessed because of their external latches made the job even easier. (Authorities recommend Jeep owners purchase aftermarket locking latches.) Three of the gang members have been arrested. One was already in custody when two others were arrested this week, one of them at San Diego's massive San Ysidro border crossing. The six others facing charges are still at large and believed to be in Mexico. Seven are US citizens, while two are from Mexico. The collective value of the thefts is estimated at $4.5 million.

FCA seeking new trial in Jeep fire case, calls $150M judgement 'grossly excessive'

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is fighting back after a Decatur County, GA jury ordered the company to pay $150 million to the family of a four-year-old boy that was killed after a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee crashed and caught fire. The company is requesting the judge reduce the award, and should Walden's family not agree to the lower sum, that a new trial be held. The Detroit Free Press reports that FCA would be forced to pay $120 million over the death of young Remington Walden, with an extra $30 million being paid to the boy's family. Neither figure sits well with the automaker, though, which called the fine "grossly excessive," and claimed it was in violation of Georgia state law. The judgment stems from FCA's long-running problem with the fuel tanks of certain Jeep models built in the 1990s and 2000s. According to the newspaper, FCA argues that the jury was biased after the Waldens' attorneys played on the their passions and pushed for a big award, saying the wrongful death award was 11 times more than any appeals court has ever upheld. FCA said attorneys for the plaintiffs told the jury to base the settlement on Sergio Marchionne's total compensation, $68 million. FCA also claims in its motion that the young boy's suffering was brief. "A $30-million pain-and-suffering award for what plaintiffs acknowledge was at most one minute of suffering is irrational," the motion, which was obtained by The Detroit Free Press, read. "Where such plainly improper arguments are immediately followed by irrational and stunningly excessive damage awards, there can be no doubt that the jury acted from passion and prejudice." Jim Butler, the attorney for the Waldens, has called the motion "nonsense," although he said the family will accept whatever figure the judge sets.

2nd annual Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards revealed

There was some absolutely fantastic auto advertising in 2014, ranging from funny to inspiring. Marking the best of it from the past year, the Second Annual One Show Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards were announced during the 2015 Detroit Auto Show (full disclosure: Autoblog was among the award's sponsors, and Editor-in-Chief Sharon Carty was a voter). Unlike previously, there were no brands with dominance over the list this time. Presented by The One Club, the awards have an international scope and hand out honors in a variety of categories. In the Broadcast TV group, there were three winners this year. First, there was The Scripted Life from Audi for the Q3 about breaking out of life's monotony. Also, Dad's Sixth Sense from Hyundai marketed the safety features in the Genesis. Finally, Unbreakable Drivers showed manly men being tested for the Toyota Hilux in Australia. The Online Video prize went to the fantastic The Epic Split spot from Volvo Trucks starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The best Interactive ad was the Honda video titled The Other Side for the Civic Type R, and the Experiential Advertising nod was for the Volkswagen Eyes on the Road clip that showed the dangers of texting and driving to a theater full of moviegoers in Hong Kong. Finally, the Public Choice Award went to the BMW commercial called Hello Future using the words of sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke for the i8. In the award not for videos, Jeep won the Print/Outdoor category for its Upside Down campaign. Check the ads out below, which show different animals when upside down. Also, look farther down for all of the winning videos and read their full announcements. View 3 Photos Automobile Advertising of the Year Winners Announced New York, NY (January 13, 2015) – The One Club (www.oneclub.org), producers of the prestigious One Show Awards and Creative Week, today announced the winners for the 2nd Annual One Show Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards. In partnership with the North American International Auto Show (www.naias.com) in Detroit, The One Club today unveiled the best automotive ads from around the world in five categories: broadcast TV, online video, interactive, experiential advertising, and print & outdoor. Winners will be presented on-stage at a special event during the NAIAS Press Preview on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, at the Cobo Center in Detroit at 4:55 p.m. The event is sponsored by AOL's Autoblog.