Thieves Stole 6 Dodge Challenger Hellcats From a Kentucky Dealership in Under 60 Seconds

Bryan Hood
·2 min read
5

No one bothered to tell Nic Cage they were making a Gone in 60 Seconds sequel.

A team of thieves stole six Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcats from a dealership in southern Kentucky late last month, according to Road & Track. More shocking than the theft itself is the fact that it took the group of seven less than a minute to make off with the powerful muscle cars.

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The six Hellcats were stolen from Don Franklin Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Somerset during the early hours of Feb. 28. The thieves, who appeared to have knowledge about the dealership’s security system, broke into the showroom and took off with four of the muscle cars, each of which had the keys inside, television station WKYT reported at the time. They also found keys for two more Hellcats, which were parked on the outside lot, and made off with those as well. The dealership said the value of the six vehicles is $600,000. The 2023 Hellcat—which was one of our Car of the Year challengers this year—will be the last to feature the brand’s iconic Hemi V-8; Dodge is expected to unveil its eagerly anticipated electric muscle car year.

Video obtained by television station WHAS11 shows how at least three of the Hellcats were stolen. Three of the thieves, each of whom was dressed in all black, can be seen screwing new license plates on, getting in the vehicles, firing up their monstrous Hemi engines, and driving them straight off the showroom floor.

Making off with the Hellcats, however, has proven to be difficult. Shortly after the theft, four of the cars were spotted together on a local highway. When police tried to stop the vehicles, they “accelerated to speeds in excess of 180 mph” in an attempt to flee, according to WHAS11. Three of the cars would get away, but the fourth was stopped with the aid of a spike strip.

The 2023 Dodge Challenger Hellcat from the side
2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

The stopped Hellcat’s driver, Cavese Jones, was taken into custody. He has since been charged with speeding, reckless driving, wanton endangerment, fleeing or evading police, receiving stolen property, failure of non-owner operator to maintain required insurance, and resisting arrest.

Authorities have found four more of the Hellcats in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama in the weeks since the crime. As of press time, though, the sixth and final muscle car remains out on the open road.

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