Photo: Wally Armour | Facebook
Three Dodge Challengers disappeared from a dealership in Ohio earlier this week. The thieves were caught on camera, with footage showing them breaking in. The dealership is now offering $10,000 for information leading to an arrest.
The theft occurred at a dealership in Alliance, Ohio, that sells Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler and Ram vehicles. The thieves were obviously interested in some of the most expensive of the lot. They broke in early on the morning of August 21 and drove away with three Dodge Challenger Hellcats.
The Ohio Police Department received a call at 7:11 a.m. When they arrived, the thieves and their vehicles were long gone, leaving behind a broken window. Three Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs were moved to accommodate the escape.
Local media reported that a nearby convenience store employee saw the masked men at a gas station near the dealership around 6:50 a.m. All three cars still had the dealership's license plates on them.
Wally Armour dealership released screenshots of the thieves sneaking around the building and offices, trying to avoid being caught on surveillance cameras. The thieves were dressed in black, wearing hoodies and masks, in an effort to keep their identities secret. The footage is already in the hands of the police.
An investigation is underway, focusing on finding the three muscle cars, two gray and a white Challenger Hellcat, as well as trying to determine the identities of the perpetrators. Additionally, the dealership announced on Facebook that it is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, conviction for a felony, and recovery of the vehicles.
It wasn't just a theft that the intruders committed. They also caused extensive damage to several other vehicles in the showroom at the time of the theft, as well as to the building.
Dodge Challengers have become some of the most popular cars among thieves
According to the Insurance Institute for Road SafetyAccording to the Highway Loss Data Institute, Dodge Chargers and Challengers are the most stolen vehicles in the United States.
Research shows that these models are stolen nearly 60 times more often than the average vehicle for the 2020-2022 model years. The next-highest stolen vehicle in America was only 20 times more likely to be stolen. However, things have been on the upside for Dodge models and downside for Hyundais, with the Elantra leading the way for 2023 and 2024.
Earlier this year, we reported on a stolen and eventually recovered Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. But when it was found, the muscle car was missing its engine, transmission, interior, entire front fascia, rear bumper, and several other components. What was left of the vehicle was put up for auction by the insurance company.
A dealership in Arab, Alabama, was left without $1.2 million worth of cars. Eight vehicles disappeared from the Ford dealership in North Country overnight. Among them was a brand new Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170.
Earlier this month, three men were arrested by the Visalia Police Department after stealing, selling and disassembling 13 high-performance vehicles worth more than $500,000. Among them were several Dodge Challengers. The thieves were caught after bragging about their thefts on social media.