A group of alleged would-be auto thieves were arrested by the Volusia County, Florida police earlier this week as they attempted to steal four cars from an auto auction site in Daytona Beach. A security guard working at the location noticed a car moving around suspiciously inside the lot and notified police.
Just after 3 a.m. on Wednesday, police said that the five alleged thieves – one of whom is a juvenile – attempted to drive four vehicles off the lot. These included a 2010 Nissan Murano, a 2009 Infiniti G37 coupe, and a pair of 2010 Nissan Maximas.
One of the Maximas was apparently totaled as the group searched for a way to drive the cars off of the lot. They were frustrated in their original attempt to flee the scene when the alert security guards refused to open the gates after the alleged thieves revved their engines as a signal, and they subsequently roamed the lot searching for an alternative way out.
While all this was going on, the fifth member of the crew was apparently waiting outside of the lot in another vehicle, which the Orlando Sentinel reports belonged to his mother. After it became clear that they would be unable to make off with the vehicles, the alleged thieves hopped a razor-wire fence, injuring themselves in the process, and attempted to flee in the getaway vehicle.
That vehicle was then stopped, after a high-speed chase that ventured onto the nearby Interstate 4, by spike strips laid by New Smyrna Beach Police officers. All five were then taken into custody.
While large lots are frequent targets for auto thieves, private owners can be victimized as well, experts say. Employing security devices can help keep cars safe and qualify some motorists for auto insurance discounts.