Thieves stole 20 cars from a New York City dealership and will likely use the vechicles to commit other crimes, a top police official said.

The car thieves hit a Mistubishi dealership over the weekend, broke open a lock box that held keys and drove off with late-model cars, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said Monday.

While some stolen cars are sold overseas, Essig said investigators believe the cars stolen from the Mitsubishi lot will be used to carry out other crimes.

“Our feeling is just based on the way crime is going, people taking these cars, they will use these 20 cars in multiple robberies and burglaries throughout the city, switching plates on and off and on and off,” Essig told reporters.

Employees did not realize the cars were gone until they came in Monday morning, the chief said. One of the stolen cars was recovered in Brooklyn, he said.

(AP)