A Miami auto dealership is reaching out to the community for assistance in locating a man who, they say, made off with a luxury vehicle during what was intended to be an innocuous test drive. According to a WSVN report, City of Miami Police were called to Prado Auto Sales on September 28, following the audacious heist of a 2019 Infiniti Q50. Alejandro Prado, the dealership's co-owner, recounted the incident with the suspect, a "calm, collected" individual, driving the luxury sedan right off the lot during a test drive.
The suspect arrived at the dealership on a particularly busy day and purportedly took a keen interest in the white Infiniti, "He was calm, collected," Prado told WSVN. The test drive seemed routine until it was cut short when the suspect feigned concern about a potential car issue, suggesting the salesman—who was in the passenger seat—to take over the driving from that point, when the salesman stepped out, the car, along with the suspect, disappeared.
Reflecting on the event, the dealership's vice president painted a picture of a suspect overly comfortable amidst the luxury vehicles; "He looked like he was the most comfortable, like he was walking around in familiar territory, asking questions about different types of cars," Prado, in a show of familiarity with such grift, explained to NBC Miami. The suspect, now sought by authorities, has been described as Caucasian, approximately 6 feet in height, weighing around 220 pounds, with a distinctive scar along his right jawline. A sighting of the man in red shirt and shorts was captured by surveillance video provided by NBC Miami.
While Prado is relieved that his staff remained unharmed by the subterfuge, the incident has put a dent in the business's finances and posed a warning to other dealerships against potential vulnerabilities; Prado lamented the monetary blow, "Settles me back up a good chunk of change, you know, because of the value of the vehicle," he said to WSVN. He hopes for the vehicle's return, and for the suspect to face justice. In the interim, a reward of up to $5,000 has been offered for information leading to the return of the vehicle and capture of the suspect — details can be offered anonymously to Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
