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Automakers in Detroit are dealing with an increase in new-vehicle thefts from factories and storage lots, and the perpetrators aren’t always adults. Three children were apprehended by Detroit Police on August 22 while attempting to boost Hellcat-powered cars from a Stellantis storage lot, the youngest of whom was only 11 years old.
The alleged theft occurred at the Jefferson North Plant, which is located just a few miles northeast of downtown Detroit, according to Fox 2 Detroit. The Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango are built there, but the storage yard also houses other new Stellantis vehicles. The boys, aged 11, 12, and 14, were apprehended while attempting to steal Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcat models. 700-horsepower muscle cars are daunting for even experienced drivers, never mind those who can barely see over the steering wheel.
There’s no mention of what time of day the kids were apprehended or how far along they were in the process. They obviously did not flee, but a Fox 2 report mentions an increase in vehicle thefts in the Detroit area. Local police say carjackings are up 40% from 2021, and a Detroit police lieutenant says this is the youngest child he’s ever seen involved in vehicle theft. (simonsezit.com) There is also speculation that adults are instructing children to steal cars.
This isn’t the first instance of cars being stolen from automaker facilities that we’ve heard about recently. Several arrests were made at the end of July after thieves stole new F-150 Raptors from a Ford storage lot in Dearborn. In June, 13 Raptors were stolen from Ford’s Dearborn truck plant, and in December 2021, thieves staged a Hollywood-style heist to steal Mustang Shelby GT500s from the Flat Rock, Michigan, factory. General Motors is also not immune to theft. Several Chevrolet Camaros were stolen from a GM factory in Lansing, Michigan, about 100 miles west of Detroit, in May.
Source: Fox 2 Detroit via Autoblog
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