A group of teenagers reportedly broke into a luxury car dealership in Wisconsin and made off with nine vehicles valued at over half a million dollars, according to police.
The robbery that took place at a Jaguar-Land Rover dealership in Waukesha on Sunday was recorded on surveillance camera footage. The footage revealed nine masked individuals entering the dealership and driving off with cars. Waukesha is located about 19 miles west of Milwaukee.
$583,000 in Vehicles Stolen by Chicago Teens
In Waukesha, Wisconsin, a group of nine individuals broke into a luxury auto dealership and stole nine expensive cars worth more than $583,000. An organized break-in, caught on surveillance camera, displayed the intruders raising a garage door, taking car keys kept inside, and then escaping with stolen vehicles from well-known brands like Land Rover, Jaguar, and Porsche.
Waukesha Police Capt. Dan Baumann revealed that the suspects, believed to be in their teenage years, initiated their criminal endeavor at approximately 6 a.m. on a Sunday. Operating with precision, the group located the hidden storage of car keys and utilized key fobs to identify and steal the targeted vehicles. A video of the incident also depicted one of the stolen cars forcefully smashing through an overhead service door.
Following the heist, authorities received a critical tip from a vigilant observer who reported a group of masked teens fueling up the stolen luxury vehicles at a local gas station. This information prompted law enforcement to initiate a pursuit that spanned multiple counties and eventually led to the apprehension of a 17-year-old suspect in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
The arrested individual, a Chicago resident, faces charges of burglary, theft, and criminal damage to property, with a bond set at $50,000, as per NBC Washington.
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Teen Suspect Captured in Luxury Car Heist
During the pursuit, officers managed to disable at least one tire on a Range Rover, leading to a collision with an unrelated vehicle. The captured teen now confronts several felony charges, potentially resulting in a substantial prison term if found guilty.
Remarkably, eight other suspects from the initial group evaded capture, and law enforcement has not disclosed whether they possess leads on their whereabouts. Authorities have successfully recovered six of the stolen vehicles, some of which were located in Chicago, the hometown of the arrested 17-year-old.
Waukesha Police Capt. Dan Baumann emphasized the deliberate nature of the crime, dismissing the notion that it was a spontaneous act by a group of teenagers seeking thrills. He asserted that the criminals had broken into the dealership with a specific plan, aiming to profit from their illicit activities, and underscored the gravity of their actions in an interview with CBS News.
"This is an intentional act where you broke into a business with eight of your buddies thinking you're fun and going to make a couple of bucks trying to sell this in the Chicago area, and Waukesha police say no," stated Capt. Baumann. "Because that's not something that normally happens," according to Carscop.
