Carjacking ring suspected of stealing vehicles from Sound Shore car washes

An organized crime ring is suspected of stealing a string of vehicles from Sound Shore car washes, according to authorities.

Feb 16, 2023, 11:48 AM

Updated 599 days ago

Share:

An organized crime ring is suspected of stealing a string of vehicles from Sound Shore car washes, according to authorities.
Police say that on Monday, thieves stole a car from Diamond Car Wash on Halstead Avenue in Mamaroneck around 1 p.m.
Eight hours later, another car was stolen from Pelham Manor Car Wash in Pelham Manor on Boston Post Road.
On Tuesday, a third car was nabbed around 3:45 p.m. from Dip-In Car Wash on Mamaroneck Avenue in Mamaroneck.
Police say the same scenario played out in all three cases.
A car with stolen plates waited near the car wash until a car was left unattended after being dried. The suspect drove up to the car wash, someone hopped into the unlocked car with a key in the ignition, and quickly drove off.
Police said they chased the first stolen car on I-95 before eventually letting the car go because it was traveling at a dangerously high rate of speed. That first car was eventually recovered in College Point, Queens with its plates removed and replaced with stolen ones.
The other car stolen out of Mamaroneck is still missing as of Wednesday evening, according to police.
Pelham Manor police has not yet responded to our request for an update on the stolen car out of its jurisdiction.
Mamaroneck officials say no one has been arrested.
Police say criminals take the legal license plates off of stolen cars and put them on other vehicles to make it more difficult to be caught while committing future crimes.
Officials believe the thefts are connected and part of an organized ring.
Some car wash employees tell News 12 they're changing the way they do things. "We're keeping an eye on everything, we take the keys, I went and installed a key box to keep the keys in there," says Jesus Mendoza, manager of Dip-In Car Wash.
Police say thieves look for spots that have an easy getaway route, so keep that in mind if you're getting your car washed at a place close to a highway entrance.