An Oakland, California, area Dodge dealership had more than 70 cars worth about $5 million, including high performance Challenger Hellcats, stolen from its lot amid rioting and protests over the death of a man in police custody in Minneapolis.
The cars were stolen Sunday night while police were occupied with protests and looting in other areas of San Leandro over the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day, San Leandro Chrysler Dodge dealership owner Carlos Hidalgo said.
“We tried calling the cops and they were too busy,” Hidalgo told CBS network affiliate KPIX. “They couldn’t respond. So, you know … .”
Looters approached the dealership after ransacking a Nike Clearance store across the street.
At first, Hildago said he ordered employees to block the exits with parked cars, but then told them to get out of the way.
Thieves broke into the showroom and found the keys and fobs, which Hidalgo said likely led them to the respective cars.
At that point, looters began driving some cars into other parked vehicles, including the ones blocking the exits.
"They started ramming, ramming until they could get out,” Hidalgo said. “They took out chains and fence posts. It was a very malicious act."
Every Hellcat, which sell for $90,000-$100,000, was stolen, including one that was driven off the showroom floor through the plate glass window – reminiscent of a scene from the 2000 feature film “Gone in 60 Seconds” starring Nicholas Cage.
According to Fox network affiliate KTVU, looters swarmed the marina square shopping center and then hundreds converged on the across the street.
Police say they have recovered about 15 of the 74 stolen cars, some in the San Francisco Bay Area and others as far as 150 miles away.
Because the the Hellcats are valued for their horsepower, some of the cars are being found without engines.
The massive car heist was only part of the violence and criminal activity that descended on San Leandro, a city of about 90,000 south of Oakland, according to KPIX. Much of it was centered at Bayfair Mall, it said.
During daylight hours, dozens, if not hundreds, of looters were seen on video leaving smashed stores – including a candy store, a Subway sandwich shop and Dollar Store -- with armloads of merchandise.
“You walk in it's like a war zone," Hidalgo said.
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