Image: Burnett Automotive Yelp page
Burnett Automotive 6256ce3ab8abb 62573813764db

Thieves caught on camera stealing cars from auto repair shop

April 14, 2022
Giving customers the news is 'about the worst feeling you can have,' shop owner says.

Two men have been caught on surveillance cameras stealing cars in the middle of the night from Burnett Automotive in Overland Park, Kan. They broke the front door, opened the bays from inside, and drove away with a pickup truck and a Jeep.

“I’m super pissed off,” shop owner Conrad Knipp told KCTV.

Burnett Automotive has been in business since 1967. They work on about 1,500 cars a week at their six locations in the Overland Park area. Knipp said it was very difficult to notify his customers.

“Calling and saying, ‘Hey, we’ve had possession of your vehicle, and we’ve lost possession of that,’ that’s about the worst feeling you can have as a shop owner because, you know, we’re here to fix the cars and make them better, not lose them,” said Knipp.

Knipp's 16 cameras in the shop helped identify one of the men who had a warrant out for his arrest due to other stolen vehicles. Knipp posted the video on the Stolen KC Facebook page, and it generated a name right away.

“The people running the Facebook site immediately named him. They knew him from way back when,” said Knipp.

Police found the stolen Jeep Monday morning. The Jeep was damaged but able to be repaired at a body shop. They’re still looking for the pickup and the man they’ve identified.

Knipp told KCTV that his customers have been understanding. Now he’s using this as a learning moment, working to evaluate how he can improve security at the shop.

Read the full article here.

About the Author

Amanda Silliker | Editor, Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN) and Professional Distributor

Amanda Silliker is the editor of Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN) and Professional Distributor magazines. With over a decade in B2B publishing at Thomson Reuters, Amanda brings significant expertise to the role, ranging from writing and editing content for print and web to managing awards programs and speaking at conferences and industry events. 

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