Man Steals Car On Test Drive, After Using Stolen Car As Collateral
LEETSDALE (KDKA) -- Jennifer Butler, the general manager of Midnight Racing Auto in Leetsdale, said she'd just opened the used luxury car dealership Saturday morning, when a potential customer walked in.
"He approached my assistant about driving an 09- C-class Mercedes," said Butler.
The dark grey Mercedes had a price tag of $14,900. Butler says the older man was driving a 2006 Lexus when he arrived at the dealership.
"He said he'd had back surgery so that's why he was looking to get rid of his Lexus, that it was no longer comfortable," Butler added.
Following their test drive procedures, Butler says she made a copy of the man's driver's license and held the keys to his car, as collateral. She then told him their recommended test drive route.
"He even asked," Butler said. "He said where should I go, I said, 'We tell people go down a few lights, make a U-turn, go up to Wendy's make a U-turn and come back, 15 minutes max.'"
Butler told KDKA 15 minutes passed, then 30 and the man still hadn't returned. After an hour she called police. Butler said she looked inside the man's Lexus to find his contact information. That's when she realized the Lexus had a West Virginia inspection sticker and a North Carolina license plate. Police later confirmed her suspicion- the Lexus was stolen, and so was her Mercedes
"He knew what he was going for," she added.
Butler says the Lexus was taken from a dealership in Penn Hills. Leetsdale police are investigating the theft of the Mercedes. Butler hopes her story is a warning for other car dealers.
Butler said she doesn't expect that she will see the car or the suspect again. She says they are changing their policies on test drives.
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