Thieves get $600K in trucks from metro Atlanta dealership

Surveillance video shows a man who appears to be directing the thefts of several trucks from a Newnan dealership.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Surveillance video shows a man who appears to be directing the thefts of several trucks from a Newnan dealership.

For the second time in the past week, thieves drove off with multiple vehicles from a metro Atlanta auto dealership.

Southtowne Chevrolet Buick GMC in Newnan was one target, Channel 2 Action News reported. Early last Sunday, some people drove eight high-end pickup trucks worth about $600,000 right off the lot.

Surveillance video shows one of the crew using a wheel grinder or chop tool to cut through a metal gate so the trucks could be driven away.

The video also showed one person “directing traffic” as the vehicles rolled away.

Coweta County deputies later chased one of the trucks north on I-85, but the driver crashed it and left the scene.

Police said the operation looked well planned.

“Based on the surveillance footage we looked at, they know what they’re doing,” Sgt. Brent Blankenship said. “It didn't appear this was their first time."

It was also Sunday morning when thieves broke into an Audi dealership in Gwinnett County, took keys from a broken lock box and stole 12 cars valued at $400,000, police said.

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