Test Drive Gone Wrong In Albany New York

Buying a new car is an incredibly stressful process. It's thousands of dollars, and you want to make sure you're getting your money's worth.

That's why test driving a car before you buy it is so important. Sometimes you like a car on a test drive so much you'll want to just drive home in it, and that's exactly what one Albany man must have thought...

Get our free mobile app

Test Drive Robbery

The incident occurred on Thursday November 6th, just a little after five o'clock pm at Armory Dodge at 785 Central Avenue in Albany. Anthony Ayala wandered into the showroom and asked to test drive a car. He, alongside a salesman on duty, got inside a 2026 Dodge Durango, and hit the road.

Once they'd completed the drive, the pulled into the dealership's parking lot, and Ayala pulled a knife on the salesman. He demanded the keys, and they complied. Once he had the keys, Ayala forced the salesman out of the vehicle, and took off down Central Avenue.

The Result

Ayala didn't get too far. Albany Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop near Henry Johnson Boulevard and Washington Avenue, but Ayala continued driving, briefly on the sidewalk. He headed east down Central Avenue until a second traffic stop was conducted on Lark Street.

Ayala apparently refused to comply, and was tasered on the scene. He is being charged with one count of Robbery 1st, one count of Grand Larceny 3rd, and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd. He is in Albany County Jail awaiting his court date.