BMW Thieves Elude Police Despite Chase

Authorities in Ventura and Los Angeles counties are searching for two men who stole cars worth almost $90,000 from a Camarillo auto dealership Sunday.

Shortly before 5 p.m., the men drove off the Steve Thomas BMW lot, 411 E. Daily Drive, in two BMW sports cars, authorities said. One of the cars was black, the other silver. Both were BMW M3s with paper dealer-type license plates, and each has a list price of about $44,000.

After leaving the lot, the car thieves entered the southbound Ventura Freeway at Las Posas Road. A Ventura County sheriff’s deputy spotted the black car on the Ventura Freeway at Lynn Road in Thousand Oaks, and gave pursuit. The driver left the freeway heading north toward The Oaks mall, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Rod Thompson.

The pursuit continued east on Hillcrest Road and the suspect eventually pulled into the mall parking lot, Thompson said. He dumped the car near a bank branch at the south end of the mall and ran into a nearby underground storm drain, Thompson said.

Authorities used a police dog and a helicopter in the search, but were not able to locate the man. He is described as a black man in his 20s with dreadlocks.

The second car thief probably drove the silver car south into Los Angeles County, authorities said.