GREENFIELD, Ind. — Security video shows thieves arrive early Wednesday morning at a Greenfield car dealership in an expensive hot rod. They stole two more cars just like it right off the lot without a key.
Police say it’s the latest in a string of similar thefts of similar cars in the past couple of weeks.
Just before 3:00 a.m. Wednesday, three suspects pulled into Dellen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Greenfield in a burgundy Dodge Charger. They were shopping for the same kind of vehicle.
"We are having a sign and drive,” said Ed Stohlman, Dellen Automotive Family's chief financial officer. “Apparently, these people forgot the sign part of it."
An orange 2018 Dodge Charger Hellcat was parked right in front of the showroom. The company website shows the car has less than 8,000 miles with a price tag of almost $69,000.
"It is an expensive hot rod,” said Stohlman, “and that was for a used vehicle, too. As everyone knows, the supply of new vehicles is pretty tight right now. So, we've got a lot of used vehicles on the lot."
The security video shows the thieves broke out a back window and climbed in the car. They appeared used some type of device that allowed them to start the car without a key and drive right off the lot. They also stole a customer's 2017 black Dodge Charger Hellcat that was parked in the lot for service, presumably the same way.
"They obviously know what they're doing,” said Stohlman. “They're professionals. It's not their first time doing this. We've heard there's actually a ring going around the Midwest where they're targeting specifically the Dodge Charger Hellcats."
A janitor working at the Dellen GM dealership across the street saw the car lights come on and called 911. New Palestine and Cumberland police spotted the vehicles going west on U.S. 40 and north on Mount Comfort Road, but the pursuit was terminated due to high speeds.
The orange car showed up on security video at a Speedway gas station at I-70 and Emerson Avenue around 3:30 a.m. The car was later abandoned and recovered by IMPD officers on the east side. The customer's car is still missing.
"We've received information from surrounding departments of similar crimes that have happened the past couple of weeks,” said Greenfield Police Deputy Chief Chuck McMichael. “Greenwood Police, Fishers Police and Carmel Police have all had similar thefts of similar vehicles."
No suspects have been identified.