Three Dodge Challenger HELLCATs Stolen in Ohio Dealership Heist

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, three 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT Widebody Jailbreaks were stolen from the Wally Armour Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, and Ram (CDJR) dealership in Alliance, Ohio. The daring heist, captured on the dealership’s security cameras, unfolded just after 5:00 a.m., when four individuals broke into the showroom.

The suspects, all dressed in black with gloves and concealed faces, meticulously crawled through the dealership’s showroom to avoid detection from passersby. Ignoring a Dodge Viper on display, they focused their efforts on searching for keyrings in various cabinets.

With approximately 500 vehicles on the lot, the thieves were specifically targeting the Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT, a high-performance vehicle known to be a favorite among car thieves. To prevent such thefts, dealership owner Wally Armour had strategically parked the Challengers between Jeep® Grand Cherokees, hoping the SUVs would act as a deterrent.

However, the plan did not entirely thwart the thieves. After struggling to figure out how to move the SUVs without the keys, they resorted to pushing the 4,500 lb. vehicles—still in park—out of the way using the Challengers. When the first employees arrived at the dealership just before 6:00 a.m., the three HELLCATs were already gone.

Later that morning, the stolen vehicles were spotted at a nearby gas station, and a friend of Armour’s sent him photos of the cars about an hour away near the intersection of Interstates 271 and 480 in Bedford Heights, Ohio, where they appeared to be racing on the highway during morning traffic.

Interestingly, a fourth 2023 Challenger SRT HELLCAT Widebody Jailbreak, valued at $92,000, was left behind. The thieves, however, damaged the car’s rearview mirror, where the GPS module is housed, possibly to prevent tracking. They also took one of the car’s keys, raising concerns that they may return to steal the remaining vehicle.

The break-in caused minor damage to the moved SUVs, leaving scuff marks on their bumpers. Armour suspects the thieves may have scouted the dealership beforehand and could have even interacted with employees during prior visits.

Fortunately, no employees were present during the heist, but security footage indicates that at least one of the thieves may have been armed.

In an effort to recover the stolen vehicles and bring those responsible to justice, Wally Armour CDJR is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thieves and the recovery of the vehicles. The dealership has also taken to social media, posting photos of the stolen cars and encouraging anyone with information to come forward.

“The police and detectives can only do so much,” Armour stated. “We want the cars back, and we would like to see if that persuades anybody to come forward with information.”

The dealership remains hopeful that the reward will lead to a breakthrough in the case and the safe return of the stolen Challengers.

Source: Fox 8 Cleveland