Police silent on $90,000 BMW theft from Savannah hotel valet
SAVANNAH, Ga. —
Nearly a month after a $90,000 BMW was stolen from the Hyatt Regency in downtown Savannah, police have not publicly identified a suspect or confirmed if the theft is connected to another car stolen from a nearby hotel.
The incident began on August 14 when a man presented a valet ticket at the Hyatt Regency on West Bay Street, claiming to be a professional basketball player with multiple cars at the hotel. According to a police report obtained by WJCL 22 News, the man drove away in a gray BMW X5.
WJCL
Savannah police released this image of the man they say was involved.
The report also states that hotel security observed the man with a white Audi A5, which had been reported stolen in Jacksonville. That vehicle was later found unlocked in the Hyatt’s parking garage.
A separate police report details another car theft less than a mile away at the Fairfield Inn on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. In that case, police say someone used a guest’s valet retrieval code to take her Toyota hours before she requested it. The guest’s key was also missing from the hotel’s valet lockbox.
Despite the similarities between the two cases—both involving valet parking systems at downtown hotels—police have not confirmed if they are connected or if the suspect in the BMW theft has been identified.
The incidents have left some visitors concerned about safety.
“People, unfortunately, people warned us not to walk around at night here. And so, you know, we’ve got, you know, class things, and our phones are zipped in the pockets and stuff, so it’s a bit scary,” Jackie McGillis, a visitor from Seattle, said.
Others, like Rodney Brown from Maine, expressed confidence in local law enforcement. “Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. They have a good police presence here,” Brown said.
In a statement, Hyatt Regency Savannah said it took immediate action to assist the affected guest and is working with its third-party valet operator on enhanced security measures. However, the hotel has not provided details about those changes.
While the two thefts share notable parallels, Savannah police have not publicly stated whether they are linked to the same individual or a larger crime ring.
WJCL 22 News has reached out to the valet operator for comment and has not yet heard back.