Florida Woman Helped Trio Steal A Dozen Cars From Rental Company

Detectives have solved the case of a dozen cars being stolen from a Hertz rental location in the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport’s car rental center.

Police arrested 24-year-old Savannah Harsha Phillips on 13 charges related to the twelve cars that were stolen from the Hertz parking garage at 11pm on May 16th, and at 12:05am on May 17th.

Detectives allege Phillips, “allowed” the drivers to “exit the Hertz parking garage without showing a driver’s license and pretending to scan the vehicles as they exited," according to their report and info on the arrest warrant.

A corporate security officer for Hertz figured out that a black Kia K4 that was missing from the Fort Lauderdale lot was later involved with some crimes in Texas, and then a white Toyota Corolla also missing from the Fort Lauderdale lot was used in crimes in Virginia. He became suspicious - and then found there were others stolen as well.

The corporate officer noted a second black Kia K4, three gray Kia K4s, a red Kia K4, two blue Nissan Altimas, a red Hyundia Sonata, a maroon Nissan Sentra, and one black Nissan Altima were all missing as well.

Phillips “had access to all Hertz company vehicles, had knowledge that the keys would be in the vehicles and knew the slowest time of business to commit this crime," police wrote.

Prosecutors filed the case, deputies obtained a warrant, and arrested Phillips at her home home in Sunrise on August 26th. Phillips is facing charges of first-degree organized fraud, five counts of second-degree grand theft, and seven counts of third-degree grand theft.

She was able to provide the $62,000 for bail, but the judge has now ordered her to prove that the money was not ill-gotten.

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