[STOLEN] Brazen Thieves Steal a $148K Corvette Z06 Convertible from a Dealer’s Showroom

By
Mitch Talley
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5
7714

[STOLEN] Brazen Thieves Steal a $148K Corvette Z06 Convertible from a Dealer's Showroom

Photo Credit: WKRN


Enthusiasts in the market for a new Torch Red Z06 might be wise to first make sure it’s not been stolen.

Police in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee say two thieves broke into Heritage Automotive there around 3 a.m. Friday, March 1 and calmly drove away with $300,000 worth of expensive vehicles, including a Torch Red over Natural Two-Tone 2024 Corvette Z06 hardtop convertible valued at $148,000.

“My guess is maybe they are taking these vehicles further south, maybe Georgia, and they are going to re-vin these vehicles and someone is going to think they are getting a real good bargain on them. Pretty sophisticated bunch, I believe,” Det. Jeff Renfro with the Lawrenceburg Police Department said.

[STOLEN] Brazen Thieves Steal a $148K Corvette Z06 Convertible from a Dealer's Showroom


Already, though, the thieves have had to abandon one of the stolen vehicles – a 2022 GMC Yukon – that was located hours after the thefts in Birmingham, Alabama with a flat tire behind an abandoned house. Investigators have gathered DNA evidence from the SUV to submit to the lab for possible matches.

Meanwhile, the search continues for the Corvette as well as a 2024 GMC Sierra HD 2500 Denali pickup truck valued at nearly $80,000.

Surveillance video captured the three suspects breaking into the building through a service bay window and then backing the Z06 out of the showroom.

“They busted a window out of the service lane where you bring your car in when you are getting it worked on, and once inside the building, used a crow bar to break into the lock box where the keys are,” Renfro said.

Enthusiasts will find it humorous that the suspects either enjoyed the open-air feel on a very cold night in Tennessee or just didn’t have enough sense to know how to find the button to close the top.

[STOLEN] Brazen Thieves Steal a $148K Corvette Z06 Convertible from a Dealer's Showroom


Regardless, 20 minutes after the theft, they had to stop at a convenience store in Giles County to put gas into the Corvette. Surveillance video there wasn’t helpful to identify the driver, who was covered from head to toe, but the man who stole the Yukon showed his face inside the store.

“We had been told they could not get far. They only kept like a gallon’s worth of gas, maybe 20 miles worth of fuel in that Corvette,” Renfro explained.

The Corvette was able to be tracked for a while using OnStar until thieves disabled the system.

If you have any information about the thefts, you’re asked to call the Lawrenceburg Police Department at 931-762-2276.

Other dealerships might want to be on the lookout for the thieves as well. Police said the Lawrenceburg break-in matches similar crimes at other West Tennessee dealerships.


Source:
wkrn.com

Related:
[STOLEN] Memphis Dealership Offering $20K Reward for Return of Two Stolen C7 Corvettes
[STOLEN] Thieves Steal a C8 Corvette and Six Other Vehicles from a Chevy Dealer in North Carolina
[STOLEN] Thieves Break Into Hendrick’s City Chevrolet, Steal Four Vehicles Including a 2020 Corvette

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5 COMMENTS

  1. If this new Z06 was sitting in a dealer showroom that would suggest to me that the dealer was asking so much above MSRP that they were having trouble selling it. Hard to imagine that the insurance company will be willing to pay more than MSRP.

    Karma.

  4. I’m thinking that the thieves around the country are noting the example of California and see that car theft is not punished with any jail time. What goes in California seems to affect the rest of the country. Theft is through the roof in California for everything and I think it even emboldens those outside of California.

Comments are closed.