It’s a smash and grab on a much larger scale.
This week more than 80 vehicles had their windows smashed and the radio and navigation systems stolen.
It happened between Monday night and Tuesday morning at the Suburban Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Troy. According to employees, investigators are still working to figure out how it happened.
The amount of vehicles affected is considered strange.
“Nothing we’ve seen before as far as that’s concerned,” said Jim Grove, the Service Director at the dealership.
Grove told 7 Action News that they’ve had a handful of vehicles broken into in the past, but this time it was 82 vehicles that were damaged. He said that they noticed a broken window or two when employees began showing up on the lot Tuesday morning.
“Then you look further and further and see more and more,” said Grove. “It became apparent as we keep looking through the lot just how big this was.”
Grove believes it could have been professional thieves behind the job, noting that specific models were targeted and in most cases the same windows were busted out in models of vehicles that matched up.
Insurance workers have spent roughly three days reviewing the damaged vehicles. On Friday they were inspecting each individual vehicle and the damage that was done.
The units stolen aren’t cheap. Newer model vehicles now boast full functioning touch screen navigation centers and radios.
Grove said he isn’t sure whether thieves have found a way to unlock the systems so that it can be used on any type of vehicle, or if they’re installing them into similar car. Regardless of what the thieves do, the whole ordeal has left a huge headache for employees at a pivotal time of the year.
“It’s year end, month-end, obviously a lot of activity,” said Grove. “A lot of people picking up a car at the end of the year so it takes a bit of our inventory out of the picture.”
Grove said he’s still got another 750 or more cars on the lot, but he was hopeful that they had the rest of the vehicles as this is a booming time of the year for the car business.
Troy Police are investigating the theft.
