NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW) — Five luxury brand vehicles snatched away in the middle night. 

A North Olmsted Mercedes Benz dealership, just the latest in what North Olmsted police Sgt. Matthew Beck is calling a “car theft pandemic.”

“At the end of the day, what they are doing is dangerous and someone is going to killed because of it,” shared Sgt. Beck. 

North Olmsted police shared that around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, a group of thieves broke into the Mercedes Benz dealership on Lorain Road and took off with five luxury brand vehicles. 

One of those happened to be Cleveland Browns Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s Ram TRX pickup truck, which was in for a service at the time.

“It is draining a lot of manpower. From patrol, on up to detectives,” said Sgt. Beck. 

One of the five vehicles stolen was worth around $50,000. The rest, worth $75,000 or more. Watson’s truck is estimated to be worth $110,000.

Sgt. Beck believes the motive behind this incident was purely for the thrill of the crime.

“They have no regard for anyone’s safety, so they are driving recklessly, driving through red lights, trying to bait police into pursuits,” explained Sgt. Beck. 

So far three of the five vehicles have been recovered, including Watson’s Ram TRX found abandoned in a ditch on I-480, near Clague Road.

Sgt. Beck says they are on the lookout for at least five young people.

This latest crime continues a trend the past few weeks in Northeast, Ohio. In Akron, three luxury cars were stolen at a Mercedes Benz dealership. In Chardon, three high end vehicles were taken from the junction auto family dealership. In Strongsville, seven luxury cars were stolen from a Fiat and Alfa Romeo dealership.

“What seems like a fun joyride, but eventually it might end up costing them one of their lives,” said Sgt. Beck. 

It is not known if any of these crimes are related.