The third-row seat of a Cadillac Escalade, the front grill of a Mercedes sedan and side mirror of a Pontiac Grand Am also dot the list of stolen parts this month, but the most expensive and extensive stripping has focused on BMWs, according to police.
The BMW burglaries range from the removal of $150 fog lamps to, as in Mahrook's case, the removal of almost everything.
He walked up to the intersection of South Chevy Chase Drive and East Windsor Road on Sunday to discover his BMW — outfitted with an expensive AC Schnitzer aftermarket kit — stripped of its front bumper, both side mirrors, side moldings, badges and spoilers.
The entire car was also keyed and the rear bumper had been crushed in half, he said.
"You know that movie 'Transformers'?" Mahrook asked. "Well, it transformed into a different car."
His insurance company on Wednesday declared the BMW a total loss, he said.
A BMW M5 sedan was also stripped on Sunday of is side mirrors, moldings, headlights, fog lamps, gearshift knob, interior light and all its headrests while it sat parked in the 1100 block of Howard Street, according to police reports.
Damage to that car was estimated to be at least $2,500.
The rash of BMW stripping represents the latest in a changing tide of what's hot and what's not on the black market of stolen goods, Glendale Police Sgt. Ernie Garcia said.
A BMW owner who needs to replace a lost side mirror might pay to have someone to swipe its mate. Auto body shops might place entire orders, he said.
And since the parts are almost always on the exterior, the car alarms typically remain silent, he said. "They don't use power tools and they usually have a lookout," he said.
"Even if it takes them a while, they have all night."
