shocking smash-and-grab break-in of a car merging on to freeway in San Francisco has gone viral.

[Demovictory9]

Dashcam video of what appears to be a shocking smash-and-grab break-in of a car crawling toward I-80 in San Francisco has gone viral.

On Friday, Ben Barghabany told KTVU he and his wife were driving from a real estate photography project on Dolores Street to Treasure Island for another shoot. The route took them on Bryant Street near the Hall of Justice, where their Prius slowed near the on-ramp toward the East Bay. Tesla dashcam footage from a car behind them shows a black Honda pull up near the Prius. A figure jumps out, smashes the back of the Prius and quickly gets back into the Honda with their haul.

“I was doing the drone and video outside of the house so I think my guess is that the guy started following us from there,” Barghabany told KTVU.

Barghabany said they were robbed of "the most expensive stuff" they had, including $7,000 in cameras and a drone.

Link to tweet

https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/prius-break-in-sf-car-burglaries-viral-tweet-15931571.php

[Irish_Dem]

1. Seems like the robbers knew what was in the back of the car?

Doesn't make sense to take that kind of risk, highway robbery in broad daylight for a bag of groceries.

[SharonClark]

3. The article says they lost $7000 in camera

equipment and a drone.

[Irish_Dem]

5. They must have watched the driver put it in the trunk of the car.

And then followed him on the highway.

That is expensive equipment.

[JI7]

13. Yeah, he said he thinks the guy might have been watching him use his equipment and followed him

from there.

[Irish_Dem]

14. Yes that makes sense based upon the video.

[lame54]

28. Maybe they caught something on the drone...

That HAD to be retrieved

[Irish_Dem]

30. Good point. They seemed hellbent on stealing the equipment.

At considerable risk. Crowded highway. Broad daylight.

[kimbutgar]

2. I was just by there last Tuesday on the same street.

Very scary.

[marble falls]

4. It's nice to see young people take some initiative and pick up a little cash.

[North Shore Chicago]

22. Lmao

[Ms. Toad]

6. Should be pretty easy to catch -

The license plate # is nearly legible just from the video. I'm guessing a few stills with enhancement will make short order of it.

[MagickMuffin]

7. Unless the plates are also stolen

But this is some scary crapola.

[Ms. Toad]

9. Plates have already been ID'd

and unless the (stolen) plates were put onto a nearly identical (make, model, color) car - they should have the owner of the vehicle soon, which should lead to the jerks.

[magicarpet]

8. Don't do anything naughty near a Tesla.

Your apt to become a movie star.

[Baitball Blogger]

10. Are Prius windows that easy to break?

[JI7]

12. they might have had some tool which helps break glass easily . I had my car broken into and

things stolen so started doing research on it and saw how they often use some tool .

Pretty sure this person has broken into cars a number of times.

[brush]

17. On most cars the windshield is the one of safety glass.

The other windows are single pane.

[NutmegYankee]

23. He probably had a center punch tool.

It’ll break a car window fast.

[Ms. Toad]

25. Emergency tool, most likely

Emergency tool to break windows and cut seatbelt

After my mother was briefly trapped in her car after an accident, she bought them for ask of us.

[Pisces]

11. It could also be they thought the drone captured pics they wanted erased

[brush]

15. who ever it was must've followed them from their first shoot to know...

what was in the back of the car. That's some bold sh_t to do that on a frreway in all that traffic. If the croofks had been blocked in traffic there might have been a physical confrontation with the Prius driver.

They should get caught though as the video shows the license and make of the robber's car.

[dalton99a]

16. Kick

[NBachers]

18. I wonder what fell out of the car and onto the street when they opened the door the first time.

Whatever it was, it could be evidence of some kind. I hope it was recovered.

[Demovictory9]

21. I saw that... something small and gray,

[Maraya1969]

19. I bet they can enhance that video and get the license plate number.

[Quixote1818]

20. You can see the license plate number pretty clear at the beginning of the video

when it first stops and he opens the door for a moment. Looks like 8STY826

[Maraya1969]

24. Wow! Your eyes are better than mine; or these glasses just suck. eom

[Hortensis]

26. Probably a good thing they were too startled to realize they had room

to back up. I doubt most would risk severely injuring a thief anyway.

Back in the days when appraising took me into high-crime neighborhoods, I learned to always leave road space in traffic to hit the gas and leave and to keep...reasonably alert. It was carjacking/kidnapping I was defending against, though.

Wonder if that car body type is being targeted more. I.e., the attack can be from the rear, rather from the side closer to people inside and less protected from them. Etc.

[Demovictory9]

27. I think attack direction was determined by where they placed their $7K bag of goodies

[Hortensis]

32. :) That also, definitely. I've never tried to jack open a trunk

and was wondering if that'd take a pro much more time than smashing a window. Once, when I locked my keys in the car in one of those neighborhoods, a nice stranger strolled over and opened my door with a strip of metal he carried with him as quickly as a key in hand. Now I imagine it's an electronic "strip."

In any case, it would seem this is the most vulnerable, and visible, position for expensive items.

[LeftInTX]

29. Groan...I hope this doesn't become the newest thing....

[moonscape]

31. Before the pandemic when I went to the

Legion of Honor in SF to see an exhibit, I got a parking space right in front in the smaller lot on top of the hill. It's a very visible place and my car was right at the beginning of the lot.

When I went to the booth to show my ID (I'm a member), they asked if I had left anything visible in my car. I said not really, and besides I was parked right across in the open top lot. Doesn't matter she said, go back to your car and remove absolutely everything, even bottles of water, due to breakins no matter where or what time of day or how crowded.

That was so depressing to hear.