Police investigate theft of luxury cars from Evanston dealership

Five luxury vehicles were stolen early Friday from a car dealership in north suburban Evanston, authorities said.

Police were called at 12:16 a.m. to a disturbance in the ally behind the Autobarn dealership in the 1000 block of Chicago Avenue, according to a statement from Evanston police. No one was at the dealership when police arrived, but a door had been forced open.

Inside, an unoccupied vehicle was found running and the office where keys were kept had been forced open, police said.

An overheard garage door was open and three BMWs — an X4, 335 and X2 — were reported stolen by the manager, police said. Later in the morning, a fourth BMW and a Porsche 911 Turbo were also found to be missing.

Two of the BMWs were later recovered near Lake Shore Drive and Fullerton in Chicago; and the Porche was found at North and Mohawk in Chicago, police said. Another BMW was recovered later Friday.

One car — a white 2013 BMW X3, — remained missing, and no one was in custody as of 3 p.m. Friday. Police have released surveillance images of three suspects wanted in connection with the thefts.

It is at least the third such incident, involving a total of 15 vehicles, in recent weeks from dealerships in Evanston and Naperville.