Taking any potential car purchase for a test drive is one of the most essential parts of the buying process. This is the case both with car showrooms and private sellers. Auto mechanics will tell buyers that this is one of the best ways to avoid issues down the road. However, one man was recently arrested after he test-drove a vehicle and then stole it from the dealership. Naturally, this is a form of car theft.

Auto mechanics recommend taking potential vehicles for a test drive but not stealing them

Car theft is a significant problem all over the county. It sometimes impacts car showrooms, but individual owners typically become the victims. Still, no one expects this to happen when a person decides to test drive a car. According to KRON 4, police officers were recently called to a dealership in Colma, California, after a person did this very thing. 

The report says that this test drive, which turned into a car theft, happened on February 9th at around 2:12 p.m. Apparently, the man took the car for a spin and then brought it back. He then told the people at the dealership that he intended to buy it. Things took a turn when he stole the keys from the employee’s desk and left in the car. The man behind this instance of car theft is Juan Matias, 38. 

After some time, the police officers located the man who had taken the car for a test drive and then stolen it. Apparently, he had parked the vehicle near the dealership. They arrested him and took him to the San Mateo County Jail for taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.