Police are warning drivers to be on the lookout as ruthless vehicle thieves are targeting victims at unexpected places including funerals and car washes.
"Be aware of any suspicious persons lingering by your car," the Nassau County Police Department posted in a warning on Facebook.
According to police in the greater New York City area, thieves are loitering at car washes in order to target expensive vehicles. Once the wash is over, the suspects are said to get in the car quickly and leave. Incidents like this are happening frequently.
A suspect in a mask exited a blue BMW at Diamond Car Wash in Mamaroneck, New York, earlier this month, and leapt into a freshly washed BMW X5. Before the car wash staff realized what had occurred, the suspect drove off and left.
Police say that the thieves are meticulous when targeting cars.
"The blue BMW could be seen across the street, and he doesn't act right away, he waits for that perfect moment to jump out," Village of Mamaroneck Police Department Lt. P.J. Trujillo stated.
So far this month, a Mercedes was taken from a car wash in Manhasset, another BMW was taken from the Dip In Car Wash in Mamaroneck, and an Audi was taken from a car wash in Oceanside.
Authorities in New York are advising motorists to use car washes that permit them to stay in their cars or to request that the attendant give them their key fob back when the car wash is complete.
"You should never lose sight of your vehicle. As soon as it gets out, make sure that the company that’s doing it pulls that vehicle aside and then ask them to shut the car off and give them the keys as they go to dry the vehicle. Do not leave the car running in that situation," Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder exclaimed.
This month, thieves in Tennessee used yet another egregious method to target cars at a veteran's funeral.
"We were probably only a hundred feet from where the cars were to the grave site. We didn’t hear anything, didn’t have any indications there were issues," one of the funeral guests said.
D'Laine Camp, 91, a veteran of the Air Force, was remembered by family and friends on Monday at the Memphis Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens in Bartlett. When mourners went back to their cars, they discovered that several of the windows had been broken and that some thieves had stolen their belongings, including a woman's purse.
One of the guests told Fox 13 News, "When we went back to our cars, I looked … like my window had been left open. I said, ‘Well, I didn’t leave my window open.’ It wasn’t left open. It was burst out."
Earlier this month, a similar incident occurred in Maryland when mourners left a burial service for an Army veteran and discovered that numerous cars at the cemetery had been smashed into. A funeral parlor was targeted earlier this year in Illinois by a car thief who made off with the business' van while it was carrying a dead body in the back.
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source:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/shameless-car-thieves-catching-victims-unaware-funerals-car-washes-amid-national-crime-spike
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/shameless-car-thieves-catching-victims-unaware-at-funerals-car-washes-amid-national-crime-spike/ar-AA17Xg83
https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/thieves-target-cars-during-funeral-amid-record-vehicle-thefts-in-memphis/article_a5d8882a-b31d-11ed-883c-cff6be5993b5.html
https://www.wlbt.com/story/26805729/funeral-home-employee-jumps-in-hearse-chases-car-thief/
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