STAPLETON, Staten Island (PIX11) — Car thieves stole two vehicles worth about $75,000 from a Staten Island dealership on Saturday, and one of them was sold in New Jersey, according to police and the dealership manager.
The suspects swiped the keys before driving off in a blue Dodge Challenger and a white Ford Transit van from the Car-N-Care dealer at 380 Bay St. in Stapleton at around 2:15 a.m., according to the NYPD. There were no injuries.
The 2023 Dodge Challenger was listed for $31,950 and the 2020 Ford Transit Van cost about $45,000, according to the dealership website.
The manager, Igor Golvin, said the suspects jumped the property fence and used an unlocked door to get into a trailer. They then stole all the keys to the 20 vehicles at the dealership before taking the van and the Challenger, Golvin said.
“This is the first time something like this happened,” he said.
The Ford van was recovered on Monday after it was sold in New Jersey. But when the buyer tried to register it in Pennsylvania, it popped up as a stolen vehicle and alerted the authorities, the manager said. The Dodge has not been found.
“This is what they do. They try to monetize it,” Golvin said.
The NYPD released photos of the vehicles and one of the suspects. There have been no arrests.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
