ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A Maryland woman said her SUV was stolen last week and used by crooks as a getaway car. “I was in shock. Just shocked,” Debra said.
We’re not including her last name for safety reasons, but Debra said she was taking pictures of her pets the night before her Mercedes was stole from her driveway.
She considered posting the photos on Facebook, but decided not to because her car was in the shot. “I said, oh, you don't want to post one with Mercedes Benz, your tag. Don't do that.”
That thought changed, just hours later, when she woke up in the middle of the night, looked out her bedroom window and realized her Mercedes SUV was missing.
Debra posted the picture, asking for help finding her vehicle.
Days went by with no answers, until investigators called late last week.
The good news, her car was found. The bad news, it was used as a getaway vehicle.
On top of that grim news, Debra said, she was told a dead suspect was inside.
The crooks rammed a vehicle into the United Gun Shop in Rockville.
When police arrived four minutes later, the suspects were trying to get away in Debra's SUV and crashed into a police cruiser.
The officer fired several shots at the SUV, killing a 17-year old inside.
“It's gone. I got to let it go. It's not my car anymore. It's weird,” Debra said.
The thieves also pulled off a similar stunt at a gun store in Laurel the night before targeting that the Rockville store.
The suspects, ages, 21, 17 and 15 were arrested over the weekend.
“What really bothers me about this whole thing is how vulnerable we are,” Debra added.
Debra said, she once considered her neighborhood a peaceful oasis, but can't stop thinking about crooks creeping into her yard and quietly driving off with her car.
She recently had a security system installed in her home.
“I'm not a gun advocate, but I'm starting to believe you have to protect yourself,” Debra said.
More than a dozen firearms were stolen between both stores and investigators said, 14 of the 18 guns taken at one location have not been found as of Monday night.