2 Oak Creek Car Theft Suspects Steal Car From Greendale Man

OAK CREEK, WI — Police in Oak Creek are searching for two car theft suspects after they stole a car from a Greendale man, thinking the two men wanted to broker a sale for the car.

According to Oak Creek police call logs, officers responded to the MATC parking lot at 6665 S. Howell Ave. at just before 1 p.m. on Nov. 21 on a report of a vehicle theft.

Police said a Greendale man was trying to sell his sister's black Volkswagen Passat, and agreed to meet a potential buyer that contacted him upon seeing the ad for the Passat on Facebook Marketplace online.

According to call logs, two men showed up to the parking lot that day. One person masqueraded as the buyer and the second as a mechanic. When this "mechanic" started inspecting the vehicle, the other man handed the seller $1,300 with $900 in "play money" hidden in the middle of the stack of cash.

Police said one man snatched the vehicle's title out of the seller's hand, while the other shoved the seller out of the way as they took the car and peeled out of the parking lot.

According to police, the vehicle was later reported as stolen, and police are investigating the vehicle theft, suspecting the thieves are from Illinois.