Houston police arrested two crooks under accusations of stealing over 100 Dodge and Jeep SUVs via high-tech methods that involved using a laptop to break into the car's software and hijacking its controls.

For over a year, Houston police received complaints about cars mysteriously disappearing while their owners left them parked at home or in public places.

Most of these models were Dodge and Jeep SUVs, which were later spotted crossing the border into Mexico.

For months, police investigators could not explain how crooks were stealing these cars without triggering alarms or damaging the vehicles.

They received their first clues in April, when one car owner's home video system captured the crooks in action, approaching the vehicle using a laptop, opening the doors, getting inside the car, and using the laptop to start the engine and make their getaway.

On August 4, the Houston Police Department announced the arrest of Michael Arce, 24, and Jesse Zelaya, 22, for the theft of a Jeep Grand Cherokee on July 30 using the same method described above.

The two are now the main suspects behind all the thefts reported until now that fit this mysterious mode of operation, according to local news media.

Police also said they expect this new method of high-tech car theft to proliferate among crooks as it poses less risk of getting caught, and smart cars will become more affordable.