RALEIGH, N.C. — A local man victimized by criminals time and time again decided not to call police. Instead, he came up with his own high-tech video system that caught the would-be thieves on tape.

The man, who wished not to be identified because he feared retaliation, eventually did call the police to show them what he captured on a hidden camera. Now, detectives with the Raleigh Police Department hope the images will help catch a pair of wannabe car thieves.

The determined homeowner set up a camera in his house and positioned it to look down on his car 24 hours a day.

"I used those cameras in conjunction with my computer and some software on the web to monitor my vehicle at night," the homeowner said.

He hides the camera under a black cloth. "I just drape this cloth over the camera and it disappears," he said.

The system also operates with a motion sensor. As soon as anyone steps into the camera's view, the homeowner said, the motion sensor turns on and then the camera starts recording. The motion is so sensitive, he said, even a bird can set it off.

So far, he said, he has captured the images of two suspects, and he recently confronted one of them.

"I asked him what he was doing. He said, 'It's my cousin's car,'" the homeowner said. "Yeah right."

That was as close as the homeowner got to revealing himself. He has turned over his video to investigators with the Raleigh Police Department.

"I'm after the guy's face," the homeowner said.

If you have any information about the suspected thieves, please contact Raleigh CrimeStoppers at

(919)224-2746

.