FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A South Florida man is speaking out after his Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon was stolen from a secured parking garage in downtown Fort Lauderdale — the second such luxury SUV theft reported in the area in recent months.
Andrew James said his 2020 G-Wagon was taken shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday from the garage at his office building on 100 NE Third Ave.
6 p.m. report:
Security footage shows the suspect entering the controlled-access lot, breaking into the SUV, and driving off — all without the vehicle’s key.
“They removed the trackers, which take some expertise,” James said. “Apparently there are ways to do it with the VIN number.”
James told reporters that Fort Lauderdale police informed him of techniques involving key coding and VIN exploitation that allow criminals to reprogram access to high-end vehicles.
“There’s like coders that can code a key of a similar car,” he said. “And they can access the vehicle that way. This is information I got from the detectives.”
Saturday’s theft mirrors a similar case from late March, when a 2025 dark gray G-Wagon was stolen from the garage at 200 East Las Olas Boulevard — just a few blocks away.
Both incidents have left residents frustrated and questioning whether any parking garage is truly secure.
“Well, where is the car safe?” James asked. “If I can’t park it in the lot of a Triple-A building, lock it, and go to work — what do I do? Do I chain it?”
Police are still investigating both thefts. Anyone with information is urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.