Car theft is a crime that affects millions of people each year. Sometimes thieves target owners directly, while at other times they steal from car showrooms. Still, no one expects to have their car stolen by the very auto mechanics hired to repair their vehicles. This happened recently in Florida, and a dealership employee is now facing charges. 

The car theft victim learned her car was missing in a surprising way

According to WINK News, a woman recently took her vehicle to the auto mechanics at the Fort Myers Hyundai off Colonial Boulevard. It’s unclear what repairs she needed, but she received a notification a few days later that someone had driven her vehicle through a toll. Notably, they had done so several times on the Cape Coral Bridge. Because of this, she knew she had become a victim of car theft. She then went to the dealership and saw that her car was missing. 

Luckily, police didn’t take long to figure out who had committed the car theft at the dealership. They arrested Albert Wheeler, 19, for grand theft of a vehicle last week. He had been with the Florida dealership since February in a role that required him to move people’s vehicles. Regarding his arrest, police found him driving the car in Collier County. When asked why he had it, the 19-year-old couldn’t provide an answer. 

As mentioned, car theft happens all the time. Still, it’s unusual to take vehicles to car showrooms for repairs and have them go missing. At this time, Albert’s bail status is unknown, and he is expected to have future court hearings. Naturally, it’s easy to assume he’s no longer employed with the dealership.