'I Got On Life360…:’ Atlanta Couple Returns To Airport After Trip. They Can’t Find Their Car—And It’s Not In The Parking Garage

"This is nuts and makes me question ever parking mine at the airport again!"

couple returns to airport after trip and cant find their car

Photo by: Unsplash.com

Mustafa Gatollari

By: Mustafa Gatollari

Jan 28, at 6:00am ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

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 video sharing how she and her partner discovered that their 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 tried to locate the car to no avail, they suggested going to the security desk to review the footage and 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 manager of the parking garage, who, Oakes says, claimed the couple hadn't parked in that garage. Oakes says she explained that they parked there and had a back-and-forth with security, insisting they did, 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, and 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, prompting him to return 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, preventing them from paying to exit the premises and leaving no paper trail of their departure.

How Often Are Cars Stolen From The Airport Garage?

Upon discovering that her car had been 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 corroborated the officers' account: cars are frequently stolen from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport’s parking garage.

Numerous commenters on her video said 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."

What do you think?

View

Comments

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

Share this Story

GO TO COMMENTS

(

)

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@motor1.com

View all comments ( )

Popular

12 Cars With Names That Make Absolutely No Sense

BMW Kept This Hatchback A Secret For Decades

Bugatti Restores One-Off Veyron With A Mirror-Like Aluminum Body

The Gas BMW M3 Isn't Dead: Next-Gen Prototype Roars