“Hundreds” Of Cars Stolen And Robbed Each Year From Seattle Airport “Park-N-Fly” Lots

‘Hundreds’ of cars are being stolen from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport every year, investigators from KING NBC 5 have found. 

Car thieves frequently target hotel and motel lots offering “park-n-fly” or “stay-n-fly” packages. Data reviewed by KING NBC 5 shows that some of the most well-known lodging names have the highest crime rates, leaving customers liable.

According to public records, the airport Marriott tops the list for crimes at hotel and “park-n-fly” lots. Data from the King County Sheriff’s Office shows 94 car thefts and prowls in 2023, including 27 stolen vehicles. In 2022, there were 74 reported incidents, according to KING NBC 5. 

Carol Olson of Snohomish County commented: “Something needs to be done.”

KING NBC 5 reported that her insurance covered $15,000 in repairs after her truck was stolen and trashed at the Seattle Airport Marriott on South 176th Street in December. She returned from a trip to Disneyland with her grandkids to find her parking spot empty.

Another woman Piper Logg told hotel security her truck was gone and wasn’t happy with the response: “They all made it sound like this is an everyday, normal thing and that nobody was surprised that it happens all the time. It seems like it’s something that happens all the time and they’re choosing to do nothing.”

Logg said the lot’s cameras weren’t recording, and thieves evaded the pay gates. A SeaTac police officer explained that no charge applies if exiting within 15-20 minutes. Thieves often tailgate behind an accomplice or a paying customer, and one report mentioned a thief ramming the gate to escape.

“It’s even more disconcerting because Marriott is a well-known company. You actually think it is going to be safer than the smaller hotels,” another woman said. “It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.”

Can’t we just go back to the days when things made sense and cars were only being stolen from their owners in designated, marked autonomous zones in the center of the city?