Mercedes with Slick Gadgets Used By Two Crooks In Crime Spree
A license plate flipper and gas siphoning device aided two California robbers in a crime spree… till they got greedy.
Greedy thieves are their own worst enemies. Want proof? Take this example. According to KTLA, two robbers targeted apartment buildings and unlocked cars in Irvine, California. The crime? Burglary. The process? Get in to residential parking garages with stolen remotes and prey on unlocked cars and apartments.
Once a way in was found, the robbers would then take anything they could get their hands on. Car keys, wallets, cash, and more. They would even siphon fuel from other cars parked in the garages into their own getaway car.
The car in question is a standard W204 C-class sedan, but this one is outfitted with a license plate flipper. The crooks used it in their crime spree so security cameras wouldn’t be able to spot the tag. Once the robbers got what they needed, the plate would appear normal. The car also had a pump built into it to help with the siphoning of fuel.
Crime doesn’t pay, and in this case even a slick Mercedes couldn’t overcome their greed. Neighbors soon got wind of the vehicle description. With a roof rack and large rims, it wasn’t exactly inconspicuous. And the very next time it was in an Irvine apartment complex, a diligent resident called to report the car to police. Police were quick to respond and promptly made appropriate arrests.
Instances like this always make you think; “if they had just stopped doing burglaries at the last place they broke into, they wouldn’t have been caught.” But, this just shows the power of greed.
To no surprise, the Mercedes itself was also stolen, however, it would be an unusual twist if the car had the license plate flipper already installed on it. Investigators are now looking to link the two thieves to additional crimes in the area. Considering the amount of thought put into just the car itself, it is fair to say that their crime spree has a lot of victims.
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Photos courtesy of KTLA/Irvine Police Department
