Car Part Thief Caught on Camera
Melendez Auto Sales on Joe Battle and Vista del Sol had a rooftop rack stolen from one of their off roading vehicles Friday.
“Thank God it was a rack and not three cars,” said Alejandro Melendez, the dealership owner.
The thief was caught video Friday morning before 1 a.m. The Melendez Auto team shared the surveillance video with ABC-7.
In the video the thief could be seen as he walked into the lot and started unscrewing the rack. It took him almost half an hour. The thief could be seen using power and hand tools to work off the rack.
“We’ve been here a year and a half and we’ve never had an incident like this, or any incident at all,” said Oscar Reyes, the dealership’s general manager.
The dealership says luggage racks are not common targets for car thieves despite their high value.
“In a store if you get an after-market one it can go from $900-$1000, OEM, from Toyota, can go up to `$1500-$1600. On the street it can be $800-$900” said Reyes.
Melendez Auto also told ABC-7 the stolen rack could be sold on the street for as much as $900.
El Paso Police are investigating the theft. They have been given a copy of the surveillance video and dusted the car for prints.
Melendez Auto Sales asks that anyone with information on the theft, or anyone that may recognize the man in the video, call police to help with the case. The dealership is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the man’s arrest.
