You can learn a lot when you pay attention to what people are willing to risk jail for. It is no coincidence that car thefts have climbed as the market has gotten crazier. We have seen many dealership thefts that sound like something out of a movie, but none quite like this. A car dealership in Spokane, Washington, came to work to find a hole cut in the showroom ceiling with a rope still dangling from its open maw. Security footage showed a pair of bandits, one wearing a cowboy hat and the other a fur coat, stealing cars looking like something from a Guy Ritchie movie. 

Are car dealerships getting robbed? 

We have no shortage of stories of car dealerships getting knocked over by planned heists. It is happening all over the country. The latest example is not just a well-coordinated job; the thieves took a page directly out of the “Mission: Impossible” playbook. However, unlike the Tom Cruise films, the thieves were wearing what seemed like costumes: one in a cowboy hat and the other in a floor-length fur coat. 

The Spokane-Review reports that this job wasn’t a one-and-done deal. Last month, the same dealership was hit by a thief who came in through the ceiling. However, in this instance, the thief tripped an alarm and escaped through a broken window. Because of the similarities between the two break-ins, authorities assume the same people might be responsible for stealing the cars. 

As cars get more expensive, the thieves are getting better

According to Johnny Arrotta, the Sales Manager of the robbed establishment, he believes the first break-in was a test run. At the scene of the second break-in, Arrotta noted that there was a rope in the ceiling, which allowed the thieves to avoid the security systems active on the door.  

Making matters worse for the dealership, the thieves stole a number of keys before scurrying back up into the hole in the ceiling. The team took a minivan and headed North. You might be wondering why someone would go through the trouble of all that and steal a minivan. Well, the practical people mover was perfect for the thieves because they had it full of people, more specifically, drivers. 

The bandits ended up nabbing eight cars over the course of a few hours. They got three BMWs, two Mercedes, and a Nissan Titan. Arotta estimates the loot to be worth somewhere around a quarter of a million dollars. 

Do the cops ever catch car thieves? 

Thankfully, car thefts can be solved and the cars tracked down if the thieves don’t move fast enough. In this situation, the police have already taken a suspect, the one in the cowboy hat, and most of the stolen cars. In fact, the suspect was wearing the exact same outfit police saw in the footage, even down to the straw cowboy hat when he got pinched. It’s not a smoking gun, but it certainly is an insight into how smart these boys are. 

Arrotta was relieved to have at least one suspect in custody, but either way, it is clear to him that security will need to be increased. 

Times are hard for many Americans. The economy is already struggling, but on top of that, the car market has been through the wringer from production to supply chains. So there is a perfect storm happening with cars in particular that are not only making the products more expensive due to low supply and high demand but also interest rates are making peoples’ monthly payments harder to make every month. This could lead to increased car theft.

There is no excuse for taking what doesn’t belong to you, but we can see how the economy is directly affected by the crimes happening in the world. With all of that in mind, now is not the time to trust the safety of your neighborhood. Cars are becoming harder to find and more valuable because of that. Lock your doors and be wise.