A South Carolina man allegedly stole nine cars from a dealership before burning it down last week, in a move that could only be inspired by Hans Gruber’s plans to blow up the Nakatomi building to escape scrutiny a la the documentary “Die Hard.” Unfortunately for the real-life alleged thief, however, his plan wasn’t quite as meticulously laid out.
Charles Chambers was arrested and charged with the nine counts of thefts and one of arson against Deals On Wheels in Anderson County, South Carolina, last week after being identified by security camera footage according to WYFF 4. Chambers kicked off his crime spree with a plan:
Shale Remien with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said Charles Chambers, 53, burned the dealership called Deals On Wheels “to the ground…scattering stolen cars across the county.”
Remien said Chambers broke into the business “single handedly stealing at least nine cars from the lot.”
She said Chambers concealed some of the vehicles, leaving others parked out in the open, including in a church parking lot off of Highway 28 Bypass in Anderson.
This is what happens when you don’t have a Theo in the computer room or a Huey Lewis at the front desk in your operation, to manage the security footage and ensure it never gets into cop hands. If you’re going to go for the Gruber approach, you need to do it right.
Officials told Fox Carolina News that police weren’t even aware of the theft until after the fire was put out and the cops were able to enter the building. Had Chambers’ fire been a bit more successful, he may well have gotten off scot-free with the cars. Maybe there’s something to this approach after all.
Authorities are charging Chambers with nine counts of grand larceny, one count of second-degree arson, and a whole slew of lesser burglary charges. The cops still haven’t figured out Chambers’ motive, but my money’s on the thefts having a financial incentive. It’s hard to resist the draw of sitting on a beach, earning 20 percent, isn’t it? Sounds much better than having to work in a dealership without even being paid for it.