Suspect Poses as Pro Basketball Player to Steal $90,000 BMW from Savannah Hotel

Savannah Police Department says a Black male estimated to be between 20 and 30 years old entered the Hyatt Regency Savannah lobby in the early hours of a night in mid-August. After retrieving belongings from a white 2025 Audi A5 that police later identified as stolen, the suspect presented a valet ticket for a gray 2026 BMW X5 and told staff he was a professional basketball player with multiple vehicles on the property. Valet employees, who noted that each ticket corresponds to a specific car, allowed the suspect to drive the BMW away. The vehicle, valued at roughly $90,000, was a loaner from a dealership provided to hotel guest Sabrina Preston. When Preston attempted to retrieve the SUV later that morning, hotel security informed her it had already left the premises. The dealership tracked the BMW to the 2100 block of North Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, prompting Savannah police to enter the car in state and national stolen-vehicle databases. Investigators also discovered the white Audi, valued at about $30,000, unlocked in the hotel garage with no exterior damage.

Atlanta Black StarNew York Post

Police records show the BMW theft is part of a series of valet-related crimes in downtown Savannah. In a separate case, a black 2019 Toyota C-HR vanished from a Fairfield Inn after a retrieval code was used hours before the guest reported it missing. The key for that vehicle was also absent from the valet lockbox, suggesting a pattern of exploiting valet systems.

New York Post

Hyatt Regency Savannah’s general manager, Todd Costin, told investigators the hotel is cooperating with its third-party valet operator to enhance security. He emphasized that guest and staff safety remain top priorities and that the hotel has taken immediate steps to assist the affected guest. Savannah Police Department has posted surveillance images of the suspect on Facebook and is urging anyone who recognizes him to contact authorities.

Atlanta Black Star

• “We are aware of this incident and took immediate action to care for the impacted guest and provide assistance in response to this situation.” — Todd Costin, savannah general manager

Atlanta Black Star