"Never stash my car keys underneath the wheel, that's for sure," said Robert De Pau.
He now utilizes specialized equipment to keep his valuables safe after realizing additional victims were being targeted along the coast.
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"Definitely a worthwhile investment," said Robert De Pau.
Other local beachgoers expressed severe distress over the targeted crime wave affecting the surfing community.
"It's pretty violating to feel that someone watched you put your key away and then they took your entire car, it's awful," said Sydney Chang, another surfer.
Community members voiced frustration regarding the ongoing lack of respect shown by the perpetrators operating in the beach neighborhoods.
"It's really wrong and people should know better than that," said Lance Osborn, another surfer.
Longtime residents noted that the crime trend has historically impacted the local coastline for decades.
"When I was about 20 years old, about a mile away from here, I went surfing, hid my key underneath the bumper.
I came back about an hour and a half later. My car ended up in Las Vegas," said Devlin Millay, a Pacific Beach resident.
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The task force believes there are additional victims in the region and urges anyone with information or similar experiences to file a report with local law enforcement or contact RATT at (858) 627-4000.
