North Carolina auto dealers are on high alert after more than $1.1 million worth of vehicles were stolen from nine Winston-Salem area dealerships starting March 17.
The thefts were conducted by 19 minors ages 9-16, authorities said. Stewart Binns, 19, was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle on March 25, and his lawyer had no comment, CNN reported.
James Juarez, general manager of Bob King Kia in Winston-Salem, told Automotive News that the kids would walk through the dealership saying they were waiting for their parents in the service department, but they were actually collecting keys that were left on salespeople’s desks in the showroom.
Three cars were stolen from Bob King Kia’s service department after the perpetrators used a crowbar to pry open the garage.
“Unfortunately, these kids are out of school and need something to do,” Juarez said. “It’s just a bad situation.”
All three vehicles were found and returned with minimal damage. Around 45 sets of keys were found in the returned vehicles.
A new security protocol to lock keys under a key code has been implemented at the dealership.
Three suspects broke into Volvo Cars Winston-Salem after hours, but they were not successful in stealing any vehicles.
Owner Rob Satter Sr. thanks his security system for scaring the suspects, whom he described as “young kids.” They were in the store for less than five minutes.
“I was fortunate in this situation, to say the least,” Satter said. “I was able to stop them from doing what they were doing.”
His security footage was used by detectives to identify the perpetrators.
In total, 46 vehicles were stolen, and all but six have been found, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department.
The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are working to gain custody orders from the Forsyth County Department of Juvenile Justice for the rest of the suspects. They have so far been denied.
Local TV station WFMY 2 reported the heists last week, as did several other news organizations.