Would-be Seattle car thief locked in BMW after falling asleep

Video: BMW locks thief in stolen car

A sleepy car prowler picked the wrong luxury car last week in Seattle.

According to a Seattle Police Department statement, the man woke from a sound slumber Nov. 27 to find himself locked inside a stolen BMW. The car manufacturer had locked the vehicle remotely, trapping him inside for police.

Hours earlier, the thief had been out prowling cars with some friends in Seattle’s University District when he came upon an unlocked BMW 550i in a parking garage, police spokesman Jonah Spangenthal-Lee said in a statement.

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The thief found keys in the vehicle -- Spangenthal-Lee said the BMW’s owner had gotten married a day earlier and loaned the car to a friend, who mistakenly left a key fob inside – the suspect sped off.

Just before 5 AM, the BMW’s owner discovered her car was missing and called 911. Officers contacted BMW, which was able to track the vehicle to the nearby Ravenna neighborhood.

When officers pulled up on the block around 5:45 a.m., they found the running BMW parked in an alley with a man asleep in the driver’s seat.

BMW employees were able to remotely lock the car’s doors, trapping the suspect inside. Officers woke the suspect, who quickly, but unsuccessfully, tried to drive away.

According to a Seattle Police Department statement, the man woke from a sound slumber Nov. 27 to find himself locked inside a stolen BMW, similar to the one pictured here. The car manufacturer had locked the vehicle remotely, trapping him inside for police. less According to a Seattle Police Department statement, the man woke from a sound slumber Nov. 27 to find himself locked inside a stolen BMW, similar to the one pictured here. The car manufacturer had locked the ... more Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Would-be Seattle car thief locked in BMW after falling asleep 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Police arrested the 38-year-old man, and found he was carrying a small amount of methamphetamine. He was booked into King County Jail, and has since been released.

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Seattlepi.com reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.