One woman from West Philadelphia knew exactly what she wanted when she walked into the Central City Toyota dealership: she wanted a car and she didn’t want to pay for it.
Police are now looking for the woman, who is yet to be identified, after she drove off with one of the cars in the dealership, nearly killing the sales manager in the process.
According to the police, the woman got off a SEPTA bus and walked into the dealership, acting as if she was there on serious business. She told the sales manager she wanted to get to the used cars lot and see a 2013 Dodge Dart. For whatever reason, it seems she’s one of those thieves with very specific preferences.
The two got on the lot and to the car, and the sales manager showed her in. It wasn’t until then that he asked her for her driver’s license, which begs the question: could the theft have been thwarted if he had done so when she first came in and pretended to be interested in an acquisition?
We will never know the answer to that question, but at least the manager wasn’t too badly hurt. Silver linings, people, silver linings.
“He walks her over to the car. The keys are in the car. He opens the door and lets her sit in it,” Southwest Detective Lt. John Walker tells FOX 29 of the incident. “He goes and grabs the car, she takes off with him on the side of the car. He falls to the ground and suffers lacerations and abrasions.”
Walker adds that the manager had to be taken to the hospital for his injuries, but he’s expected to be discharged soon. Meanwhile, police are out looking for the woman. They’re checking surveillance footage and have asked for access to the SEPTA TransPass data, to see if they can identify her by photo.
According to the police, the woman got off a SEPTA bus and walked into the dealership, acting as if she was there on serious business. She told the sales manager she wanted to get to the used cars lot and see a 2013 Dodge Dart. For whatever reason, it seems she’s one of those thieves with very specific preferences.
The two got on the lot and to the car, and the sales manager showed her in. It wasn’t until then that he asked her for her driver’s license, which begs the question: could the theft have been thwarted if he had done so when she first came in and pretended to be interested in an acquisition?
We will never know the answer to that question, but at least the manager wasn’t too badly hurt. Silver linings, people, silver linings.
“He walks her over to the car. The keys are in the car. He opens the door and lets her sit in it,” Southwest Detective Lt. John Walker tells FOX 29 of the incident. “He goes and grabs the car, she takes off with him on the side of the car. He falls to the ground and suffers lacerations and abrasions.”
Walker adds that the manager had to be taken to the hospital for his injuries, but he’s expected to be discharged soon. Meanwhile, police are out looking for the woman. They’re checking surveillance footage and have asked for access to the SEPTA TransPass data, to see if they can identify her by photo.