A mother and son were part of a three-person crime team that used bump keys to enter and rob hundreds of homes in Central Florida, according to police.

Orange County investigators said Alfredo Osorio, his mother Rosa and her boyfriend Wilson Esquilia made a living breaking into homes and apartments in Orange, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Polk counties.

"In order to arrest somebody, I have to have evidence or eyewitness testimony and these people were not seen or (did not) leave evidence for years," Orange County sheriff's Detective Craig Fulton said.

Officers said a set of "bump keys" allowed them to gain entry into each of the homes.

Local 6 showed how the key can be inserted into a lock and then bumped with a hammer or another tool to open most doors.

Authorities said Rosa and Alfredo Osorio were taken into custody after one of them tried to pay for some pancakes with a stolen credit card and handed the cashier identification -- which didn't match up, Local 6 News report.

Locksmiths and law enforcement officials said how-to guides on the Web could only mean more victims down the road.

"There are other groups still doing it," Fulton said. "This is not the only group."

Investigators said homeowners can switch out locks for more sophisticated locks or spray down current locks with WD-40.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.