When four masked criminals entered the Terry Thompson Chevrolet dealership in Daphne in the early morning hours of Saturday, police said they knew what they were doing when they stole four vehicles.
The crime reads like a scene out of an action movie. The four people were dropped off by a four-door sedan nearby. In dark clothing, they broke through a window to get into the dealership and stole key fobs.
As quickly as they arrived, they left with four vehicles: a gray 2024 Chevrolet Suburban Z71, a white 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT, a white 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD High Country and a black 2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat.
Police said $290,630 in vehicles were taken from the parking lot.
Daphne Police Chief Brian Gulsby said these types of incidents are unusual in the area but not unusual nationwide. He believes the burglars are part of a sophisticated crew and have likely done this before.
“It’s actually not that unusual,” Gulsby told 1819 News. “Dealerships are targeted like this across the United States.”
Gulsby said the goal is to find the culprits, but it will be challenging since they likely used electronic means to disable GPS tracking.
“We’ll reach out to FBI because it’s interstate and they will maybe have intel on crews that are doing that kind of thing,” he said. “A lot of times in operations like this, they will replace the VIN plates and the vehicle will be sold on the black market.”
Gulsby said vehicles could also be discovered after a wreck or if one gets stopped by law enforcement.
He believes the crooks left the area immediately. Before the GPS systems were disabled, one of the vehicles pinged while traveling Northbound on Interstate 65 in Prichard.
“They were probably out of Alabama within hours or less,” he said.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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