She found a few other people’s stolen vehicles, too…
It took a real estate agent in Manatee County, Florida just 24 hours to track down her stolen Mercedes-Benz E 350, an impressive feat for someone lacking law enforcement or investigative experience. However, what Rachel Speight lacked in know-how she made up for with sheer determination. Ultimately, she not only tracked down her stolen car but found several others.
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While Speight did contact the sheriff’s department and reported her luxury sedan as stolen, she didn’t stop there. She also posted hundreds of flyers in the area and drove around hunting for any sign of it. That effort paid off because she recognized the Mercedes sitting in a vacant lot, specifically focusing on the awards from her grandchildren hanging from the rearview mirror.
When law enforcement arrived, they realize three other cars parked on the empty lot were also stolen. Speight said the Mustang had been stolen just that morning, so the owner received some peace of mind rapidly. Searching through the other vehicles, authorities found purses, IDs, and other valuables thieves had stolen.
According to Speight, her car was stolen after her daughter left the Mercedes’ keys in another vehicle and didn’t lock the doors. That allowed the thieves to avoid having to try defeating the immobilizer and other security measures on the E-Class.
This is a great story, but what would’ve helped Speight locate her car faster would’ve been a GPS tracker. While it’s true thieves often know how to disable factory trackers, using an aftermarket setup, or even better a couple of them, will give you an edge. Often, thieves will dump the vehicles somewhere public for a few days to see if you track your ride down, instead of leading you right to a chop shop or something like that. In other words, a tracker can help you get your vehicle back almost immediately.
Source and images: Fox 13
