Nine cars stolen in a little over a week, but thieves didn’t have to break any windows to drive off with their loot. Fremont police say each car was waiting to get serviced at a dealership.
Fremont police believe someone was scoping out Cushing Parkway at the Fremont Auto Mall. Thieves stole two cars from a BMW dealership, then hit a Mercedes dealer before the latest string of thefts that hit Fremont Toyota.
Most recently, six cars, a pressure washer and car keys were reported stolen from the Toyota dealership in the Fremont Auto Mall.
“One of my friends said we’re living a real life Gone in 60 Seconds, except with Toyotas,” said Tina Viau, whose car was stolen. “So I feel like it was such a planned operation.”
Police said all the vehicles belonged to local residents, and all of the vehicles were in for service and were waiting to be detailed.
They also say it's likely the keys were in the cars and the vehicles were left unlocked.
Kyle Viau had dropped off his family's 2010 Toyota Highlander to get serviced, paid for everything, and then waited and waited for his SUV.
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“You’re expecting they’re taking care of your car and its secure in their lot and not going to get stolen while they have it,” Kyle Viau said.
Tina and Kyle Viau say, as parents of two, the missing Toyota SUV was the least of their concerns.
“What did we leave in the car that could lead them to come to our house and steal other things?” Tina Viau said. “I was just afraid that -- what if we’re home and somebody comes and tries to take other things?”
At BMW of Fremont, there is the question of why it took so long to notice missing cars. A car parked Dec. 11 was reported stolen eight days later. Staff realized a different car was missing Dec. 13, reporting it four days later.
Three of the vehicles stolen from Fremont dealerships have been located in Oakland by Oakland police and CHP officers, including the Viau's SUV. None of the vehicles were stripped or damaged.
NBC Bay Area could not reach any of the three corporate offices for comment.
Officers say they spoke to management about securing the gates and not leaving vehicle keys accessible.
Patrol staff visited all of the Fremont auto dealers today re: recent thefts. Many are implementing new security measures to #stopthegrinch — Fremont Police Dept (@FremontPD) December 24, 2013
So far, police have no leads as to who was behind the thefts.
Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to contact Fremont police.
