Gladstone car dealership hit by thieves for second time in a week
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GLADSTONE, OR (KPTV) — For the second time in a week, managers of a Gladstone car dealership say one of its cars was stolen in the middle of business hours.
The second theft at Carz Planet on Highway 99E happened Friday.
The dealership says a 2015 Chevy Suburban, valued at $40,000, was stolen.
Salespeople at the dealership say a man wanted to take the SUV for a test drive on his own. But when they told him he couldn’t, he distracted employees and then drove away.
“When he found out that the salesman had to go ride along, he came up with a story that, ‘Oh, it’s going to make my wife feel uneasy.’ And I said, ‘Well, due to the circumstances of us just losing a car, we’re not allowed to do that with our insurance policy,’” said Carz Planet sales manager Ty Wallace. “Negotiating tires, he noticed the keys were on the table and he seized his moment. He grabbed the keys and took off.”
Police later found the SUV, but the suspect is still on the run.
On Monday, surveillance video caught a different man stealing a different car from the same lot. Employees tried to box him in with their own cars, but he was able to get away.
Police say they don’t believe there is any connection between the two thefts.
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