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A Cool-Handed Car Thief
posted (May 8, 2012)
Tonight the Central Region of The Department of Health is looking for a Gold 2009 Toyota Hilux. It was stolen after two this morning from their compound which is at the old Nursing School, right next to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

But while the news tonight is about their effort to get the vehicle back - to tell that story, we first have to show you how easily it was stolen - alarmingly so.

Jules Vasquez reviewed the security camera footage - and saw the work of a cool handed car thief - with an apparent inside connect:..

Jules Vasquez reporting
The break in started here at 2:27 am - with the robber casually striding up St. Joseph Street looks in at the gate - sees no security and then proceeds to scale the fence.

Wearing what looks like military type fatigues, he gets over with ease and then calmly strolls around to the fence and quickly breaks open the lock - after all - he'll shortly be driving out with his new car.

In no rush at all, he slides the gate open - with the same casual air that you would do it with your gate at home.

After that he reaches down and checks absently if he has the key in pocket - and

Saunters across the yard - in no rush at all - and heads straight to the shed for the vehicle he's stealing - which - with the way he's doing it, you'd think it's his vehicle.

There's no break in - no smashing of glass, he apparently has the key and just hops in - and in literally ten seconds later he's started the vehicle and is ready to go

He pauses for another 20 seconds - maybe to put in his favourite CD and then drives out in the 2009 Hilux - the halo of the tail lights leaving a ghostly flare

He stops at the exit - and again in no rush at all - picks up the bag he of tools he used to open the gate - plops it into the back of the pickup - gets back in - then drives up a little more - so that he can nicely slide the gate shut - after all he wouldn't want anyone breaking in, right?

In no rush at all, hE walks back to his vehicle - and it's over - the camera picks up the vehicle as it it drives off into the night - mission accomplished in just a little over four minutes - from a compound that has not one but two watchmen!

Melinda Guerra - Regional Health Manager
"Definitely, what we think is that this person is probably familiar with the compound. The person went in and immediately directed himself towards the vehicle, and he knew which vehicle he was going to take."

Jules Vasquez
"And he didn't have to break in."

Melinda Guerra
"He didn't have to break the vehicle. It appears that this person had the key."

Jules Vasquez
"You don't have an around-the-clock watchman?"

Melinda Guerra
"We have 2 securities in place. We have a security to the front gate, and one at the other entrance, but the security failed to.."

Jules Vasquez
"The security was sleeping on the job."

Melinda Guerra
"Well, something happened there, but definitely, the security wasn't able."

This is what the pickup looks like - a major part of the fleet for the central district - and they desperately need to get it back - in time for the rains and the mosquitoes.

Melinda Guerra
"Well, this vehicle is used on a daily basis. We have quite a number of programs that we put all our vehicle into. This vehicle specifically is used for the vector control program and the control of dengue. When they go out and spray with the ULV machine for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, that's where we've been using this vehicle. And now, we are coming up to the month of June, and we won't have this vehicle to go out and spray in the urban setting and rural communities."

And so they need your help.

Melinda Guerra
"What we are asking the public, the mechanics or anybody who is going to buy this vehicle to kindly call 223-2722, 223-2723, or 601 - 8652. Give us a call."

Those numbers again, are: 223-2722, 223-2723 and 601-8652.

You can call those numbers or the police or 0-800-922-tips.

You'll remember that in December of 2011, the Western Regional Health Office also had a pickup stolen - an L200 - and that one was not recovered.

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