Ten thieves, one car dealership and a hasty escape after simultaneously stealing several vehicles: sounds like the plot from the next (or any) car heist film.
Nope, it’s what happened in Tampa, Florida as car thieves broke into the Prespa car dealership, stealing eight vehicles and damaging 14 others in the process.
Tampa Police said the suspects were dropped off at the dealership by a minivan, which was stolen in Orlando prior to the heist.
Police released security footage on their YouTube page showing two of the suspects breaking into the dealership’s main building, rummaging for a box containing keys belonging to cars parked in the lot and then joining up with the rest of the crew.
In the video, the suspects can be seen creeping through the car lot cautiously, crouching and keeping hidden as each of them choose which vehicle to take (a 2012 white Dodge Ram, 2005 BMW Model X3 – these thieves had options).
Once they had what they came for, the suspects in their stolen vehicles lined up at the exit gate waiting.
The minivan, which dropped them off, rammed the gate and the suspects fled speedily from the lot.
The suspects entered two additional vehicles during the heist but only drove them within the lot – one was left with the engine running and the other smashed into a building within the dealership.
Tampa police wrote on their YouTube page that the Dodge Ram was later recovered and the BMW was abandoned after it was involved in single-vehicle crash.
The police believe the suspects to be involved in a criminal group operating out of Orlando and warned Tampa residents that this vehicle heist might turn into a crime spree.
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