Increasingly frustrated by a part-time job, Gerena was sued for the child support of two daughters and lacked any means of transportation when he became engaged to his then girlfriend Liza Soto. On August 29, 1983, he rented a Malibu at a non-credit locale named Ugly Duckling Rent-A-Car and brought it to the Wells Fargo depot as a test to see if McKeon's laxity would allow it to be parked inside the delivery van area adjacent to the vault by claiming that it was borrowed from a friend who would be mad if it was damaged by vandals and thieves that frequented the area, despite being a direct violation of company rules. Having accomplished this goal, Gerena completed his schedule as usual and finished the work day without incidents. He requested a full-size vehicle from the same locale on Friday September 9, 1983, this time a 1978 Mercury Marquis and received a clearance from its manager to keep it throughout the weekend since there was no guarantee that a vehicle of that size would be available for the start following week otherwise. However, this plan suffered a setback when this vehicle failed and the lessee replaced it with a 1973 Buick LeSabre. On September 12, 1983, four days after his planned wedding, Gerena drove the rented car and after arriving at 11 a.m. discovered that he and a coworker, Tim Girard, were locked out of the depot. After being called, McKeon arrived along another employee, Bob Shewokis, and opened the doors.