In a daring heist reminiscent of Hollywood movies, a gang of car thieves struck a dealership in Arab, Alabama, leaving with a haul valued at a staggering $1.2 million. Their target? An array of luxury vehicles, including a limited edition 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170.
The thieves precisely executed their plan, breaking into the North Country Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, and Ford dealerships in the dead of night. Armed with a rock, they shattered a window, gaining entry into the premises. Once inside, they swiftly bypassed the dealership’s security measures, which included an extensive camera system and alarms.
General Manager Greg Anthony described the scene with astonishment: “In more than 30 years in the business, I’ve never seen a theft so sophisticated. Not this big, nothing to the magnitude of this.”
The perpetrators wasted no time neutralizing the surveillance system, disabling cameras, and erasing hours of footage to cover their tracks. Their next move was equally audacious—accessing the dealership’s key safe. Using a laptop, they cracked the safe and absconded with over 330 keys, unlocking the gateway to a fleet of luxury cars.
With keyless entry and start features in modern vehicles, the thieves had a seamless means of commandeering the cars. They simply approached each vehicle, unlocked it, and started the engines, making off with eight vehicles, including the Demon 170.
This latest incident adds to a string of car thefts in Alabama, with dealerships falling prey to the schemes of criminal syndicates. Earlier in the year, a similar theft saw thieves driving off with luxury vehicles, only to be thwarted by their lack of familiarity with the technology, as evidenced by a stranded convertible with its top down in freezing temperatures.
As investigators work tirelessly to unravel the complexities of this brazen automotive heist, promising developments have been made. Two stolen vehicles, a Jeep® Wagoneer and a Ford Bronco Raptor, have been successfully recovered, offering hope amidst the turmoil.
Meanwhile, the dealership has taken to social media to announce a generous reward of $10,000 for any information leading to the recovery of the remaining keys.
