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Va. Beach business owner hopes surveillance video can catch car thieves

Posted at 7:33 PM, Oct 23, 2013
and last updated 2013-10-23 19:33:22-04

Virginia Beach, Va. – In the middle of a crowded auto auction, six men boldly stole four cars off the lot.  It happened on September 14, 2013 at Tidewater Auto Auction on S. Military Highway.

Police released pictures of the suspects last week trying to find them, but have not made any arrests so far.

The business’s owner, Mike Hockett, contacted NewsChannel 3 hoping the actual surveillance video can help.

In the video, you see the men pick out the cars, line them up, then take off through the garage.

The men were able to get into the cars because it was during a public auction, when the keys are left in the cars for people to look them over.

As they drove off, Hockett says a security guard tried to stop them and was almost hit.

The men haven’t been seen since, but the cars have.

Hockett has recovered all of them.

One of the cars didn’t have much gas in it, so the suspect had to abandon it at Military Circle Mall.  Another had a GPS inside and was found in Suffolk, and the other two were found in Portsmouth.

Hockett is glad to have the cars back, but now he wants the suspects off the streets.

“Even though I've got these cars back, justice has not been done.  Just because you got back something because they made a mistake doesn't make it right.”

He believes all but one suspect are around 16 - 19 years old.  He says they look young and didn't seem to have much experience behind the wheel.  One suspect had a hard time parking the car.

Hockett hopes someone can identify them before they try something else.

If you can identify the men, call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.