Thieves Stealing Vehicles By Driving Through Showroom Window

Dealers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin are on the look out for thieves – criminals who can be so brash that they’ll steal a vehicle by driving it though the showroom window.

Brazen criminals who have stolen numerous vehicles have hit dealerships in the greater Milwaukee area. A video from inside of uptown Ford-Lincoln shows just how fearless the criminals seem to be. In the video, a new Ford F-150 is stolen from the showroom by being driven right through the glass window in the showroom. The dealership robbery and vandalism took place September 28, around 3:40 a.m.

Glen Pentler, owner of Uptown Ford-Lincoln in Milwaukee, told Fox6 News, “They broke in through one of the windows, and proceeded to take a new F-150 right off the showroom floor. I think it’s around six to eight dealers that have been hit, so to speak.” The GM of the store, John Pentler speaking to WISN added, “It’s a first for us. It’s one of those things you see in the movies and think would never happen, but it did.”

WISN reported Uptown Ford isn’t the only store that experienced property damage and theft in dramatic fashion. Van Horn Latino, a used store, also experienced brazen theft. Criminals broke into Van Horn and stole Lincolns, Camaros and a Denali SUV, by driving them through the showroom window and out of the lot. Van Horn Latino GM Anthony Diaz explained, “They ran through the gate. It was chained up and everything.”

October 26, thieves reportedly also struck Milwaukee-area Honda, Lincoln and Nissan stores, putting dealers in the area on alert as the criminals who struck the other store have not been caught and are thus still at large.

Parking vehicles inside of the showroom has long been considered a safe place … could these types of incidents cause dealers to take even more security precautions? What trends have you noticed as far as dealership theft and vandalism in your surrounding area?