Marietta police arrested two men who allegedly broke into a luxury car dealership with a bag of tools and high-tech scanners but failed to drive away with any vehicles.
Sophisticated tools fail to start engines
Investigators say Dashaun Hambrick and Jayden Dorsey, both 22, snuck onto the Platinum Cars auto lot on Cobb Parkway before dawn on Sunday. The pair arrived equipped with a bag of tools including screw drivers and window breakers and “sophisticated scanners” designed to bypass modern vehicle security systems.
Ron Blakemore with Platinum Cars says the men first targeted a Chevy Camaro valued at $80,000. After getting inside and settling into the driver’s seat, they were unable to get the engine started. They then moved to a Dodge Challenger Hellcat, where they ripped the dashboard apart in a failed attempt to bypass the ignition.
“They had all the updated, sophisticated scanners. They had everything that they needed to get out and get the car started,” Blakemore said. “They tore the dash up. They ripped it apart. They get pretty serious about those Hellcats.”
Security cameras lead to quick arrest
- Early Sunday Morning: Hambrick and Dorsey sneak onto the Platinum Cars lot on Cobb Parkway.
- During the attempted theft: Security cameras monitor the men as they enter the Camaro and Challenger.
- Police arrival: Marietta police pull up to the lot while the men are still inside the vehicles.
- The chase: The suspects attempt to jump a back fence to escape but are quickly apprehended.
Ron Blakemore with Platinum Cars noted that even if the men had started the cars, they were trapped by the facility’s physical security. “We got security, the gate is locked. I don’t even know how they were going to get out,” Blakemore said. “The Hellcat and the Camaro, just really popular vehicles. Sought after vehicles. They didn’t get that one started. The only thing that they got was jail time.”
- 22: The age of both suspects, Dashaun Hambrick and Jayden Dorsey.
- $80,000: The approximate value of the Chevy Camaro the suspects allegedly tried to steal.
- 2: The number of high-end vehicles damaged or entered during the incident.
Hambrick and Dorsey face numerous charges, including entering an auto, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm. They were taken to jail following their arrest on the scene.
