GPS Tracking Technology Helps Find Jimmy Buffett’s Stolen Mercedes
5 Feb 2015Legendary singer Jimmy Buffett found his Mercedes stolen, but GPS tracking technology helped local police track it down.
When Jimmy Buffet was at home in Palm Beach, Florida, he came outside to see the 2013 Mercedes GL350 has been stolen right from his driveway. He told officials it must have been stolen between 10:00 pm on Tuesday evening and 8:00 am on Wednesday morning, when they discovered it had gone missing.
Shortly afterward, his representative spoke to two officers at the Palm Beach Police Department to file a report. As he did so, he told them that while Buffett had left the keys in the car, the car also had something they might be interested in: a GPS tracking device.
Jimmy Buffett, who is an American singer, songwriter, businessman, actor, and author, is possibly best known for his Island-themed musical style. He often writes his humorous life stories into his songs. Some of his hit songs include Margaritaville, Come Monday, and Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.. His fan base have come to be known as “Parrotheads.”
In addition to music, he is also a businessman. Jimmy Buffett has opened multiple restaurants that are named after his most popular songs, including the Margaritaville Café and Cheeseburger in Paradise.
When the thief stole his Mercedes from his own driveway, it is possible they had no idea who they were stealing it from such a musical icon.
The police department first contacted Mercedes since the GPS tracking technology was standard that came with all vehicles of this type. They got the tracking information from Mercedes and then started following the car through Florida. It stopped in West Lantana, Florida, where they were able to recover it.
Police also mentioned that when the vehicle was first stolen out of the driveway, it hit a white fence while backing out. This caused another $1,000 in damages to the vehicle and some damages to the homeowner’s fence.
When they arrived at the location in West Lantana, they found that it was a 17-year-old man that stole it. He was arrested on the spot and charged with grand theft auto due to the left. He admitted to police that he traded drugs for the vehicle.
Local police believe Buffett is just one of a string of vehicle thefts that may be connected, but not necessarily are targeted him or celebrities in general. There have been six other vehicle thefts in Palm Beach, which included a Maserati worth $100,000. Other vehicles stolen included a 2014 Volkswagen Beetle and a 2000 Yukon GMC. Six out of the seven cars stolen had keys inside with the vehicle unlocked.
Due to these crimes of opportunity, police urge vehicle owners to always keep their vehicles locked and never keep the keys inside. Invest in a GPS tracking device in order to locate and recover a stolen vehicle quickly.
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