Kids steal 46 cars worth more than $1 million from auto dealerships, NC cops say
Detectives in North Carolina know who stole close to 50 cars from local dealerships over the last two months, police said.
There’s just one problem — the authorities can’t arrest them.
A group of kids and teenagers between ages 9 and 16 are accused of stealing 46 cars worth more than $1 million from dealerships in the Winston-Salem area beginning in March, according to a police department news release.
“Detectives have sought, and thus far have been denied, secure custody orders from the Forsyth County Department of Juvenile Justice for the involved juveniles,” the release states.
Police didn’t say why the orders were denied, but the N.C. Department of Public Safety has said it’s trying to decrease the number of youth in detention during the coronavirus pandemic by utilizing electronic monitoring instead.
At least one adult, however, is in custody.
Mekeal Stewart Binns, 19, was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and is being held at the Forsyth County Detention Center, the release states.
According to the Winston-Salem Police Department, the break-ins started March 17. About 13 dealerships in Winston-Salem and two in Kernersville were targeted — some more than once, police said.
They included Honda, Lexus, Ford, Audi, Toyota, Volvo, Subaru and Chevrolet dealerships, the release states.
Altogether, the kids reportedly completed 20 heists, 18 of which were in Winston-Salem. The remaining two occurred about 10 miles to the east in Kernersville, according to the release. The value of the stolen cars totaled $1.1 million.
Police said all but six of the 46 that were taken have been recovered.
“Detectives are continuing their efforts to investigate these crimes and to prevent future thefts,” the release states. “Authorities are working with local dealerships to better secure their facilities and to initiate steps to prevent thieves from obtaining vehicles keys; if they succeed in gaining entry into the dealership.”
