Authorities are investigating after a number of luxury cars have been stolen from a dealership in Evanston in Cook County, Illinois, United States.
Evanston cops responded around 12:15 a.m. a report of a disruption in an alley in the 1000-block of Chicago Avenue. By the time officers arrived, nobody was at that location, however they found a door to the Autobarn Mazda dealership forced open, an empty automobile that was still running and a garage door standing open.
A door to a workplace where car keys are kept was likewise forced open, cops stated.
A manager verified 3 BMWs were stolen: an X4, a 335 and an X2. Police later found a recently-sold Porsche 911 Turbo and a fourth BMW were likewise stolen.
Chicago police discovered the X4 and 335 abandoned on North Lake Shore Drive near West Fullerton Avenue and the Porsche near West North Avenue and North Mohawk Street. The dealer stated a third BMW had been recovered and a fourth BMW – which has a GPS tracking gadget – was still missing.
Investigators combed the scene for proof early Friday morning. Investigators stated surveillance video reveals at least six people were associated with this criminal offense.
“This is not neighborhood crime here in Evanston. They are targeting a luxury goods store where sadly this has been occurring in the Chicagoland location and it’s not neighborhood folks who are doing this,” Wynne stated.
In the past, two running cars were stolen from the driveway of the same dealership, cars were later recovered.
This isn’t the first time vehicles have been stolen from car lots. Last month, 9 cars were stolen from an Infiniti dealership. An Audi was recovered from cops over a week later.
In September, 80 luxury automobiles were part of an organized Chicago theft ring associating 4 different gangs on the city’s South Side.
There is nothing to comment, whether these cases are related.
“That’s something investigators will be looking at, whether they’re related as far as the same crew doing it or whether it’s simply a new method people are using,” Dugan stated.
It should be noted that no arrests have been made in any of the cases.