PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Car thieves across South Florida have zeroed in on a particular subset of high-performance models popular among enthusiasts.
Their targets? All-American muscle. Specifically, Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcat and Scat Pack models.
The engines alone are worth big bucks on the black market.
“It’s extremely frustrating,” Emma Archer said.
Archer, of Pembroke Pines, recently headed out for the night and came back to find her brother’s 2020 Charger Scat Pack gone from her driveway and found that someone had messed with her home security camera.
“The camera was actually facing up, so they had moved the camera physically and then we had no footage,” she said.
Pembroke Pines police have been tracking this specific type of crime. In some cases, they said, the crooks use software to mimic the key fob, get in and drive off.
“We’re seeing a trend,” Pembroke Pines police Detective Yalile Nader said. “The thieves are actually breaking in one of the windows, entering the vehicle and deactivating the GPS tracking system that comes with the car.”
Local 10 News has covered case after case in Pembroke Pines. In 2021, thieves made off with a 2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Crooks also targeted Dodge models in Hialeah and North Miami.
“People need to be a little more vigilant and cautious and run their cameras and check,” Nader said.
In Archer’s case, a nearby camera was able to capture the theft. Her family is adding high-tech home security and more devices to their cars and are hoping someone spots the stolen car with black, 20-inch gray rims and a Miami Heat license plate.
Archer said in her brother’s case, the GPS was taken out and was pinged in Miami Beach, further south from where it was actually taken. As of Monday afternoon, it was showing up in the middle of the water.