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Woman allegedly helped trio steal 12 Hertz cars while working at Florida airport rental center

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Published  October 3, 2025 11:18am EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • Savannah Harsha Phillips, 24, is being charged with first-degree organized fraud, five counts of second-degree grand theft and seven counts of third-degree grand theft.
    • Phillips is accused of helping three men steal 12 cars from Hertz while she worked security at a Florida airport car rental center.
    • A judge has ordered her to prove that her $62,000 set bail is not from criminal proceeds.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A 24-year-old woman has been arrested after she allegedly helped three men to steal 12 cars from Hertz while she worked security at a Florida airport car rental center.

What led to the arrest?

The backstory:

According to Broward County court documents, 24-year-old Savannah Harsha Phillips was previously working as a security guard at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s Hertz car rental center. 

During that time, Phillips allegedly used her position to help three separate male drivers "exit the Hertz parking garage without showing a driver’s licence and pretending to scan the vehicles as they exited." Officials said the incident was part of a theft ring scheme that took place back in May.

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Detectives said Phillips had access to the company vehicles, knew the keys would be inside them and was aware of the slowest times of business.

Cort documents show the stolen vehicles included multiple Kia K4 sedans, Nissan Altimas, a Hyundai Sonata, a Toyota Corolla and a Nissan Sentra. 

Phillips was living in Sunrise but was from Jamaica. She was arrested at her Sunrise home on Aug. 26 and booked into the Paul Rein Detention Facility. She was charged with first-degree organized fraud, five counts of second-degree grand theft and seven counts of third-degree grand theft.

On Wednesday, Phillips appeared in court for an arraignment hearing. A bond court judge ordered her to prove that her $62,000 set bail is not from criminal proceeds.

Savannah Harsha Phillips (Credit: Paul Rein Detention Facility)

Dig deeper:

Through further investigation, officials say they have now linked some of the stolen vehicles to crimes in other states, including a black Kia K4 tied to incidents in Texas and a white Toyota Corolla connected to crimes in Virginia.

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What's next:

Phillips' next court hearing is scheduled to take place in December. 

The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from Broward County court documents.

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