Police said a group of thieves held up Manhattan parking garage workers at gunpoint and stole a number of luxury vehicles stored inside — and while investigators said most are likely gone for good, one owner tracked the thieves across state lines to try and get his wheels back.
The setting for the theft looked like any other standard parking garage, but this one had some expensive cars parks inside — and the crew of robbers knew it. Police said that at least four luxury vehicles were stolen at gun point early Monday morning, including Saiful Islam’s BMW X7.
"It’s very sad, very sad for me because I’m not a rich man," Islam said.
Police said a single attendant was guarding the cars when a group of men pulled a gun on him, and then just started driving cars away. Islam assumes his car is on its way overseas.
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Another man named Mitchell said his Mercedes G 550 was very nearly shipped away, but not before he found it stuffed in the back of a shipping container in Jersey City.
"The car was actually loaded onto a trailer and they said it was going to be shipped to Africa. To my knowledge right now, there are other law enforcement agencies involved," Mitchell said.
He said that after he found out it was stolen, he spotted it on the Mercedes App and saw it was in New Jersey. Mitchell believes someone was joyriding, first in Newark then in Jersey City. He said the NYPD then told him to call the police in New Jersey. Using his GPS, Jersey City Police found Mitchell's car and another stolen vehicle.
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Islam was not so fortunate. He tried to track his car on his app, but the GPS appears to be disabled.
"I’m guessing I’m not getting my vehicle back, because they came with a plan," he said.
Police said there were three car thieves, and they have not yet been tracked down. However, there is surveillance video from the garage that police can use as they search for the stolen vehicles.
