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Theft ring hits Puyallup car dealerships

01:00 PM PST on Wednesday, January 23, 2008

By MIMI JUNG / KING 5 News

At least four dealerships have been targeted lately.

PUYALLUP, Wash. – Some thieves keep hitting Puyallup’s auto row stealing cars when the lights go down. At least four dealerships have been targeted by the suspects with the same MO.

Two car thieves were caught on surveillance video at All Star Auto. The sophisticated and professional suspects were smooth-talking a salesman while stealing the keys to a 2005 Chrysler 300M.

An hour later, after closing time, the surveillance video shows the suspects coming back and driving the car off the lot.

For the last two weeks, thieves have been targeting Puyallup's auto row and driving away with expensive domestic cars.

Here's how they do it: They get the salesman to start the ignition. The other then distracts the salesman by opening the hood. Meanwhile the other swaps the key, keeping the car's key and handing the salesman a fake key.

In the case of the Chrysler, the suspects ditched the car in Seattle, but stole the one-of-a-kind wheels worth $4,000.

"This is our home and when they take something like that, we feel like they're stealing from us," said Vic Kirilenko, All Star Auto.

The suspects are described as two black males in their 20s, driving a gray Dodge Durango with 22-inch width rims.

These latest incidents could be part of a bigger car-theft ring. The Washington State Patrol's Auto Theft Task Force is investigating other dealerships in the south end that have also been hit by thieves.

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