Robbers Take 8 New Corvettes From GM's Factory and Leave Them at Lowe's | Carscoops

      Police ultimately recovered all of the vehicles after someone noticed the red ZR-1 parked near the factory.

      15 hours ago

      by Stephen Rivers

      Thieves stole a total of eight Corvettes from a GM factory in Bowling Green, KY.

      Shortly afterward, officers located all of the cars close to an employee-driven ZR-1.

      Currently, one individual is in custody, and law enforcement is seeking additional accomplices.

      Car thefts occur frequently, but it’s not every day that thieves target an automaker’s production line directly. However, that’s exactly what transpired at General Motors’ Bowling Green, Kentucky facility, where Corvettes are manufactured. Adding to the absurdity, this was not a solo operation; eight Vettes were taken.

      While it was initially reported that the 1,064-hp 2025 Corvette ZR-1 was among the stolen cars, GM later clarified to Road&Track that a ZR-1 was not included in the stolen vehicles. Nonetheless, one would expect GM staff to be particularly cautious with these cars, regardless of specification. Still, a group of thieves managed to drive them off the lot.

      A Routine Check That Turned Out Not to Be Routine

      In fact, the only reason the plant’s employees realized any cars were missing was due to a call from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. An officer had spotted a Corvette with all of its production stickers at an apartment complex roughly 14 minutes from the Bowling Green plant. Corvette salesman Mark Thomas shared details about the incident on Facebook.

      When the authorities contacted the factory, seemingly no one had noticed that not every model they produced was accounted for. The Sheriff’s Office informed the production facility that at least one car was missing. It turned out, however, that they were actually missing eight! Reports indicate that the suspects cut through a fence to secure the vehicles.

      The thieves appeared to have driven some of the stolen Corvettes to a nearby Lowe’s Home Improvement store. The reason behind this choice of location is unclear, but at least one observant car enthusiast spotted a red ZR-1 and managed to take a few photos. Fortunately for law enforcement, they were also present at the scene to recover some of the stolen vehicles.

      Interestingly, the Lowe’s in question is located just 7.3 miles, or about 17 minutes by car (likely faster by a ZR-1 at full throttle) from the factory. One would expect the thieves to conceal the cars in a closed garage, as parking them next to a brand-new ZR-1 would certainly draw attention, but it appears they were not very strategic criminals.

      According to WBKO News, 21-year-old Deantae Walker from Westland, Michigan, was arrested in connection with the brazen theft. He is now facing charges for receiving stolen property valued at $10,000 or more, fleeing or evading police, and resisting arrest, while officers continue to search for his accomplices.

      Photos T. Wade / Facebook