Police recovered most of the vehicles, and arrested someone still wearing the same straw cowboy hat that was seen in security footage
3 hours ago
Employees at a dealership in Spokane, Washington, showed up to work last Thursday to find eight cars missing. When they entered the dealer building, they found a hole in their ceiling, and a rope hanging from the roof.
Security footage from Northtown Auto Sales shows that two thieves rappelled down into the office through the ceiling, according to Sales Manager Johnny Arrotta. He described it as something out of a “Mission: Impossible” movie, and it was made all the stranger because one of the thieves was wearing a knee-length fur coat, while the other was wearing a straw cowboy hat.
However, Arrotta suspects that at one of the thieves involved in this crime may have planned it in months in advance. He told The Spokesman-Review that four months earlier, another thief came in through the roof. Police now suspect that it was one of the same people. However, in that case, the person tripped the alarm while walking through an office door. That led him to break a window in order to escape.
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Arrotta described it as a “test run.” He added that “he already knew if he opened that door, the alarm would go off. That’s why he brought the rope.”
Before exiting the office through the roof, the thieves stole a number of keys. They then took a minivan and headed north. A little later, the reason they chose something so practical became clear: the van was full of people.
Over the course of several hours, the thieves stole a total of eight cars, including three BMWs, two Mercedes, and a Nissan Titan. In all, Arrotta estimates that the dealer lost more than a quarter of a million dollars worth of vehicles.
Fortunately, as of Wednesday, October 25, most of the cars were returned to the dealerships. While the thieves may have learned from their earlier mistake, they weren’t exactly criminal masterminds.
Police arrested one suspect, saying he was wearing the same outfit, down to the straw hat, that was seen in the security footage. He and a woman with him ran from police, who found one of the stolen keys in her purse.
According to the police, their investigation is ongoing. Arrotta says that the dealership will be investing in greater security for its vehicles’ keys.