400 cars keyed at Metro Vancouver dealerships, police say

Mounties in Coquitlam are trying to identify a woman suspected of keying more than 400 cars at two dealerships, causing an estimated $500,000 in damage.

On Wednesday, police said there have been three reports of "mass-keying incidents" this year. Both the Journey Chrysler Jeep Dodge and Ram dealership on Dominion Avenue and the Journey Approved dealership on Lougheed Highway in Port Coquitlam appear to have been targeted. Both businesses have the same owners, police have confirmed. 

"Video surveillance captured the lone suspect systematically damaging the vehicles within the car dealership lot," a statement form the Coquitlam RCMP said.

"It is clear in the videos that the suspect was deliberately scratching the vehicles one by one."

The suspect is described as a white woman between 40 and 50 years old with shoulder-length blonde hair and a "heavy build," police said, adding she was wearing glasses, gloves, a toque and a medical mask.

“In my 15 years of policing I have not seen this amount of vehicles being purposefully damaged, all at one time, with one suspect,” Cpl. Alexa Hodgins told CTV News. 

Mounties said they don't believe the keying incidents are related to an armed robbery that happened at the dealership’s Lougheed highway location in November.  

Anyone who recognizes the woman is urged to call 604-945-1550, and quote file number 2023-9099. Police have released surveillance video which shows a woman wielding a metal tool and scratching several cars.