A couple claims their car was stolen from a major airport’s parking garage. They’re just one of many victims in a location that’s become a prime target for thieves. Taylor Oakes (@taylorashleyo) posted a TikTok sharing how she discovered that her and her partner’s car had been taken from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. They discovered the car was stolen after returning from a weekend trip to Canada. Tired from their journey, they went to the spot where they parked. It was nowhere to be found, even after exploring different levels. During their search, they were approached by a security guard who asked if they needed assistance. After the airport employee helped them try to locate the car to no avail, they suggested go to the security desk to look at footage to determine what happened to it. Upon arriving at the desk, they weren’t exactly met with enthusiasm; rather, as Oakes puts it, they encountered an uncooperative security guard who was watching “YouTube at full blast.” When the guard finally did address them, Oakes claims they were told that if they didn’t have a parking ticket, they couldn’t be helped. Oakes explained that they didn’t have the ticket because they left it in the vehicle. Following this, the guard brought the couple to the parking garage’s manager, who Oakes says claimed that the couple hadn't parked in that particular garage. Oakes says she explained that they did park there, and had a back and forth with security, insisting that they indeed parked there, as Life360 data confirmed. ‘I’m Calling The Police’ Oakes said that her conversation with the parking garage’s manager was fruitless. Finally, she decided to call the police to help locate her car. Once they arrived, the manager suddenly became proactive and helpful, she says. Since the vehicle was new, Oakes said she didn’t know the tag number. However, she scrolled through her photo roll, she eventually found a picture with the car’s plate. She shared it with the police and the manager, who radioed the desk to pull up the security footage. However, the manager was informed that the recordings had been cleared, which prompted him to run back to the security desk and close the door. This left everyone in disbelief, Oakes says. Thankfully, the guard came out and said that the video shows Oakes’ car leaving the garage at 6 p.m. Oakes says she replied that this couldn’t have been the case, since she and her partner weren’t in the garage at that time. “Somebody stole it. So what’s going on? How do you leave the gate … without paying for it with a credit card or having issues?” Oakes says she asked. She was informed that car thieves tailgate behind paying customers, thus preventing them from having to pay to exit the premises, leaving no paper trail of their departure. How Often Are Cars Stolen From The Airport Garage? Upon discovering her car was taken, she asked the officer how often this happens. The answer left her stunned: “Two cars a week,” Oakes claims the officer said. Afterward, officers took an official report from Oakes and her partner, and the couple spent the night in a hotel. A follow-up call from an investigator left the pair with a sobering revelation: They were probably never going to get the car back. The same investigator also corroborated what the officers told them: Cars are frequently stolen from Hartsfield-Jackson airport’s parking garage. Numerous commenters who replied to her video stated that they, too, had their cars stolen from airport parking garages. “My Range Rover was stolen last year from the airport … the police no help. Even tracked my car down to a site selling it in NY and yet the cops would not do anything … I have been told it happens daily … have also had several friends and family cars stolen,” one wrote. Another replied: “A dear friend of mine had their car stolen as well … there is a ring going around.” Airport Car Theft Rings On The Rise Various media outlets have reported on a surge in car thieves targeting airport parking garages. In November 2024, Investigate TV wrote that “many of the country’s major airports have seen increases in reports of motor vehicle thefts.” Cleveland 19 also reported on a man’s 2021 white Dodge Challenger that was taken by criminals from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The owner said he was “shocked that something like this could happen at a busy airport and in a parking garage he believed was secure.” And at Chicago’s Midway International Airport, NBC said that rampant “parking garage thefts frustrate travelers,” in a July 2025 report. Additional coverage from Texas-based KVUE said that Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was the target of a Houston crime ring that stole “$5 million worth of cars” parked at the flight hub. Motor1 has reached out to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Atlanta PD via email and to Oakes via TikTok direct message for further comment. This story will be updated upon response. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team