A radar detector valued at $400 was stolen from an employee’s unlocked car in a back parking lot of BMW of Darien, apparently on Sept. 19, Darien police said.
Darien police gave this account of the matter, which is still under investigation:
The theft was discovered after a man came to the dealership initially saying he was interested in getting a second key programmed for his vehicle. He then spent a “significant amount of time” at the dealership, a police spokesman said, looking at new and used vehicles.
You can see this statement on the back of Darien Police patrol cars: “LOCK YOUR CAR. EVERY TIME. EVERYWHERE.”
He was also seen walking around the rear lot of the dealership at 140 Ledge Road. He told dealership employees that he was looking for used cars. An employee directed him to go back to the front part of the dealership.
Later, he was seen in his vehicle driving around the rear lot. Again, he was directed to go to the front part of the dealership. He looked suspicious, employees later told police, but no one saw him do anything that would make them call police, they said.
He left the dealership at about 11:50 a.m. Later, an employee noticed a radar detector missing from an unlocked, black BMW 535 parked in the rear lot.
Police were contacted on Wednesday, Sept. 23 about the theft of the Valentine 1 radar detector.
Video surveillance showed the suspect walking in the rear lot close to where the employee’s car was parked. There is no video record of the man entering the employee’s car.
The suspect is described as a white male (no height, weight or rough age was recalled) with a “scruffy appearance” and tattoos on both arms. Employees at the dealership had a more exact description of his vehicle: He was driving a 2005 or 2006 red BMW X3, believed to have New York state registration.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
Police believe BMW was targeted in an attempt at a different kind of theft on Monday, Sept. 21 — article here.