A man who claimed to be a professional basketball player entered the valet area of the Hyatt Regency in Savannah, Georgia, and walked away with a gray 2026 BMW X5 valued at roughly $90,000. The luxury SUV had been loaned to a hotel guest by a local dealership, and the impostor used a forged valet ticket to claim the vehicle as his own.
Before seizing the BMW, the suspect retrieved personal belongings from a white 2025 Audi A5 that had been left unattended in the hotel’s parking area. The Audi, which had been reported stolen the day before, was later found unlocked in the garage with no visible damage, indicating that the thief accessed it without force.
Investigators have linked this incident to a separate theft of a Toyota C‑HR, which was taken using a retrieval code transmitted hours before the owner reported the vehicle missing. The timing and method suggest a coordinated approach to exploiting valet services.
Pattern of Valet Thefts
Police noted that the suspect’s actions fit a broader pattern of valet thefts that have occurred in Savannah over the past weeks, including a similar grab two weeks earlier. This recurring behavior points to a possible repeat offender who is familiar with hotel procedures and the timing of guest arrivals.
On September 4, surveillance footage was released to the public, showing a Black man estimated to be between 20 and 30 years old. Authorities have asked anyone with information about the individual or the incidents to come forward, emphasizing that the suspect may have traveled to other locations such as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where similar activity was noted.