FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Police are investigating after a high-priced car was stolen from a valet attendant Thursday outside a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale.
According to another valet worker, a man just arriving at the Boatyard restaurant handed his keys to the valet before entering the restaurant.
A female worker was assigned to park the Aston Martin, but she was confronted by a masked man.
Fort Lauderdale police confirm that the victim was pulled out of the car by a “Black male suspect” before he sprayed her with Mace and then sped off in the luxury vehicle.
The valet then ran inside Boatyard to seek help and witnesses called police.
Another valet worker told Local 10 News that police previously ran a detail in the parking lot for safety, but that was stopped two weeks ago.
“At the valet over here – not one car has been stolen, broken into or anything,” he said. “They used to have detail over here for about five, six years – actually seven years. They got rid of detail two weeks ago, and I guess she was targeted.”
The Astra Parking employee said the victim was shaken up, but will be OK.
Employees initially said the Aston Martin was later recovered in Miami-Dade County, however police confirmed to Local 10 News that the car has not yet been found.
Astra Parking is an independent company from Boatyard. The restaurant contracts with the valet company to run the service.