LOCAL : Car Thief Exits Through Window

A car thief sneaked into the showroom of a downtown car dealership, revved up an expensive car, smashed it through the plate-glass window and was last seen heading for the Harbor Freeway, authorities said today.

Because an inventory was under way at the time of the theft, police said they are unsure what type of car was stolen from the showroom of Downtown L.A. Motors. But they theorized it was a Mercedes Benz or customized Nissan costing as much as $40,000, Lt. Paul Pesqueira said.

Shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday, someone broke in through a small side window, Pesqueira said. “He got into a new car in the showroom, drove through the front glass sliding door and over the curb,” he said, adding the car was seen heading in the direction of the nearby Harbor Freeway.