Just before 6 a.m. Sunday, a group of four or five people slipped into a Midtown parking garage in Hell’s Kitchen and tried to make off with several luxury rides, including a blue McLaren and a black Mercedes-AMG G-Wagon. The plan unraveled when the garage attendant dropped the metal gate to the street as the crew tried to bolt, blocking one vehicle and forcing a fleeing Range Rover into the gate. One thief did manage to get away in a 2020 McLaren but later plowed it into a nearby pole. Several cars were left banged up, with owners reporting smashed glass and dented body panels, and as of Sunday afternoon police had not recorded any arrests.
Gate Foils Getaway
The sequence of events was detailed by the New York Post, which reported that the thieves forced their way into a West 43rd Street garage near 11th Avenue and zeroed in on multiple high-end vehicles. Photos published with that coverage show a white Range Rover crumpled against the closing gate and several cars scarred by broken glass and body damage. According to the reporting, the suspects ultimately ditched the scene in their own gray BMW and were still on the loose as of Sunday evening.
Owners Describe The Damage
Drivers who showed up to retrieve their cars were met instead with a crime scene and a lot of confusion. One owner told the New York Post, "it sucks," while another owner, identified as Hassam, said, "I'm shocked," explaining that he did not believe the damaged blue McLaren was his until he checked it closely. Photos and descriptions in the Post’s reporting also show a Volvo with its front glass smashed and other vehicles visibly dinged and scraped.
Police And Citywide Work On Auto Theft
Officers were investigating both the garage break-in and the crash, and had not announced any arrests at the time of the reporting. City data show that the NYPD has been running multi-agency crackdowns on auto theft, with thousands of vehicles seized and hundreds of arrests made as part of those efforts, according to NYPD figures. Those operations have included river-crossing sweeps, roadside checkpoints and coordinated work with other agencies to spot, recover and remove stolen or illegal vehicles from city streets.
What Drivers Can Do
Owners whose cars were hit in the chaos spent the morning documenting damage, talking to officers and getting their police reports started. Witnesses at the scene noted that photos or video of the attempted heist could be key for investigators. Anyone who saw what happened or has security or cellphone footage is being urged to share it with police so detectives have more to work with as they try to track down the suspects.
