Amazon Van Becomes Getaway Vehicle for Florida Man “Lost” in Ormond Beach
Dang, Amazon Van! I’ve been eagerly waiting on some He-Man figures from Amazon to arrive to my house in Cape Coral. Guess what? They’re late. And now I’m starting to wonder if maybe today’s Florida man has something to do with it. This dude named Matthew Darwin Houghtaling decided it was a good idea to jack an Amazon delivery van in Ormond Beach.
According to Fox35, the Amazon driver was making a drop-off when Houghtaling hopped in and hit the gas. Despite efforts to boot him out, Houghtaling zoomed off, leaving behind a confused driver.
Thankfully, the Amazon manager played super detective, tracking the van and catching Houghtaling falling asleep at the wheel on surveillance. This criminal stuff must be exhausting! The chase didnt last too long because it made it’s conclusion at a Circle K, where deputies finally swooped in for the arrest.
Caught red-handed, Houghtaling admitted to being lost and seeing the van as his ticket out of the Ormond Beach neighborhood. But his joyride stash told a different kind of story. There was a a mix of meth and marijuana found inside the amazon van.
Our guy Matthew Darwin Houghtaling is now in some serious trouble. With the Amazon truck back in safe hands, the manager’s not letting this slide. Charges areon the way for Matthew.
His excuse? Dehydration. Sure! I mean we all boost delivery trucks when we’re thirsty. Right? After Matt’s pit stop at the hospital, he landed in jail, where he’s quenching his thirst with jail juice until further notice.
As for me, I’m still waiting on my He-man figures. Could they have been on the stolen truck? Maybe. Only time will tell. But by the Power of Grayskull, I will get my toys. No Skeletor wannabe thief is going to stop them from coming. Why? Because fabulous powers were revealed to me. Like a delivery guarantee because I’m a Prime member. What else can I say but, I HAVE THE POWER!!
The Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles In The State of Florida
10. Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai Motor Company shows off a 2019 Sonata Hybrid at the Chicago Auto Show on February 8, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The Hyundai Sonata comes in 10th on the list of most stolen vehicles in Florida. 577 were stolen last year with the most common model year taken being the 2013. This was one of the vehicles documented online on how easy they were to steal. The only surprise it’s that more weren’t stolen,
9. Honda CR-V
(Photo by Alex Edelman/Getty Images)
The Honda CR-V is a very common vehicle here in Florida. 580 were stolen last year with the most common year taken being the 2021. This car is victim of global supply and demand. If your Honda CR-V is stolen, it may end up in a shipping container heading overseas.
8. Dodge Charger
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
This car may rise in popularity now that Dodge is discontinuing the gas powered models. 639 were stolen last year in Florida with the most targeted model year being 2021. This car was targeted after it was shown online that if you broke a window and climbed in you could put the car in neutral and push it down the street. From there it takes thieves about 90 seconds to program a new key FOB and then drive away.
7. Honda Civic
(Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
772 Honda Civics were stolen last year in Florida. The 2020 model was the favorite. In 2022 a hacker developed a way to remotely unlock and start these cars. Made them waaaaay too easy to steal until that vulnerability was fixed.
6. Toyota Corolla
(Photo by Robert Hradil/Getty Images)
There’s so many Toyota Corollas in Florida it’s no wonder this car made the list. 887 were stolen last year with the 2021 model being the most common.
5. Toyota Camry
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Like the Corolla, there are a LOT of these cars on the road here in Florida. 989 stolen here in the state and the 2021 model was the one most targeted. Throw an Apple Air Tag in the back for a cheap piece of mind.
4. Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)
(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Tops in the nation, but 4th on the Florida list. Full size Chevy pickups had 992 reported stolen in Florida last year. The 2021 was the most common. There’s a theory that these trucks are being targeted for their the catalytic converters.
3. Nissan Altima
(Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Another very common vehicle on the Florida roads, 1,000 Nissan Altimas were reported stolen in Florida last year. The 2015 was the year most swiped. If you have an Altima you need to read up on a “relay attack.”
2. Honda Accord
(Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images)
Honda Accords were the 2nd most targeted vehicle in Florida last year. 1,003 were taken with the 2021 being the most targeted.
1. Ford Pickup (Full Size)
(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
And this is where we see the jump. 2,030 Ford pickups were stolen in Florida. The most common being the 2006 model. There are a lot of these trucks here in Southwest Florida, but one of the reasons so many are stolen may seem kind of simple. Some of the models are just too big to fit in the garage. Since the truck is in the driveway it’s very vulnerable to a relay attack.
