ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (WXYZ) — Car dealerships in Macomb County are on high alert. This comes after a group of thieves have been targeting dealerships in the middle of the night.
This string of car thefts has now prompted a multi-jurisdictional investigation. So far, one person, a 14-year-old, has been arrested in connection with these crimes.
Watch surveillance video of the theft below:
"We feel violated and unsafe in our own backyard, and this shouldn't be happening," Michael Palazzolo, who spoke on behalf of the owner of Envy Auto Group, told me.
In security video obtained by 7 News, you can see a $65,000 BMW driving right off the showroom floor and through the glass. It was the owner of Envy Auto Group's BMW M6. This is the first time in the history of Envy Auto Group that a theft has occurred.
See more of the surveillance below:
"It's got major sentimental value. He went through a few cars shows and saved up all the prize money to get a car," Palazzolo said.
The thieves, according to Palazzolo, circled the showroom for about a half an hour. The thieves using a Jeep stolen from another dealership then smashed through the garage door. A total of six people then exited the vehicle looking for the keys to the high-priced sports cars inside.
Another video from inside the dealership shows the theft below:
The owner of Envy Auto Group recovered his BMW M6 in Detroit a short time later after he tracked it with an Apple Airtag.
"The car is damaged beyond repair," Palazzolo added when asked if the car was totaled or salvageable.
These thefts not only impact the victim, but it also impacts everyone's car insurance rates. According to a 2023 Department Of Insurance And Financial Services report, auto theft in Michigan and around the country is one of the reasons why premiums and comprehensive coverage for auto insurance is rising steadily.
Related video: Southfield police investigating luxury car heist
Palazzolo is just grateful and so is Michael Kassab that no one was hurt or even killed
"It could have been so much worse. And with the value of the cars in here, only one was taken. But it still doesn't make it right," Palazzolo said.
