Dennis RomeroDemonstrating that this is the easiest way ever to steal a car, a thief drove off with at $200,000-plus Mercedes SLS AMG roadster that was left running at a valet stand this week.
The fine German two-seater had OnStar or a similar service (Mercedes vehicles come equipped with one called MBrace) that helped police not only track it down but find a suspect, too, cops say:
The sports car was taken outside a restaurant on Abbot Kinney Boulevard during the “lunch hour” Tuesday, according to cops and Venice311, the Twitter feed that first reported the theft.
Because of its satellite technology, police were able to track down the Merc and stake it out near a VFW hall in Arleta, according to an LAPD statement.
Lo and behold, three hours later, a suspect showed up and cops went after him, the department says.
The guy went into the VFW and then entered a nearby home in the 13500 block of Reedley Street, where he put on a resident's clothes and then denied knowing anything about the ride, police allege.
That suspect was ID'd as 20-year-old Dylan Coffey. LAPD arrested him on suspicion of burglary for allegedly going into that house.
L.A. County inmate data shows he was arrested at 5 p.m. Tuesday and was put behind bars in lieu of $50,000 bail.
LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon:
The owner was happy to hear her car was found, none the worse for wear, and we promised her we wouldn't dirty the interior with print dust.
Credit: A photo of the actual car via the LAPD
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