Crime & Safety

Vehicle Awaiting Service Stolen While Mechanics Worked Nearby

Owner was shopping inside the store when theft occurred.

Video surveillance at the Buford Drive Walmart captured the moment when a car was stolen as the owner shopped inside the store on Jan. 7.

The vehicle, a gray 1993 Honda Accord, had been left parked outside the automotive department awaiting service. According to the police report, the woman had left her keys inside the vehicle at the request of automotive department employees.

“As mechanics worked on the car that was already in the bay, they heard and saw the victim’s car leaving very quickly out of line and toward the front of the store,” the report stated.

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Video surveillance showed the owner of the car meet with employees before heading into the store. A few moments later, a man and a woman can be seen walking by the car. The man reportedly looked inside the vehicle as he walked past. The couple then walked inside the store and passed the automotive center checkout counter before being let into the garage area through a secure access door by an employee. The two suspects then walked past the car once more. The male stopped a few yards past the vehicle while the woman continued walking.

“The male suspect walked in the immediate area for a moment then proceeded to the vicinity of the victim’s car,” the officer wrote in the report. “He loitered around for a moment, got in the driver’s seat of the victim’s vehicle and quickly drove out of the area.”

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The owner of the car advised she had not given anyone permission to take the car and had not come to the store with anyone else.

Shortly after the vehicle was listed on the Georgia crime database as being stolen, the Hall County Sheriff’s Department located the vehicle off Friendship Road. The vehicle was found unoccupied with the engine running.

The case is listed as active.

You might also be interested in reading:

  • Car Stolen After Auto Shop Employee Leaves Engine Running
  • Wrecked Vehicle Found on I-985 Reported Stolen
  • Stolen Landscaping Truck Involved in Hit and Run


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