By Steven Symes 
A thief stole a man’s 1968 Dodge Dart just a few weeks after he died, which alone is shocking. And while we’ve seen criminals swipe a recently deceased person’s vehicle before, which is always a disgusting act, this thief took things to the next level with how violently he ripped the muscle car away from the family.
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From what the daughter told KIRO 7, the thief knew exactly what he was after and how to get it. The classic Dodge Dart was literally ripped out of the garage where it was stored at the family’s house in Olympia, Washington in early November.
But the thief took specific steps to ensure the heist went smoothly. He severed the power line to the garage, but before that was caught on camera lurking outside the house. The man even damaged one of the cameras, likely trying to stop it from recording. Then, the man in a hoodie and mask kicked in the exterior door to the garage, attached chains to the classic muscle car, and used a truck to pull it through a wall, then across a field.
The man likely had at least one accomplice to pull that off, although only one person was captured in surveillance footage shared by KIRO 7. In the process of dragging the classic muscle car, the thief sideswiped a car parked in the driveway.
In the process of pulling the Dodge Dart away, the thief ripped off a badge on his truck, a Dodge Ram 350 (not 3500). That helps narrow down who might have stolen it since not too many people have one of those old trucks.
Whoever pulled off the heist obviously knew about the car and where it was kept. They also decided to steal it not long after the owner died, a cowardly act.
As one would expect, the family is taking the theft after the loss of their patriarch. After all, the Dodge was his prized possession, so it’s more than just a valuable classic muscle car to them, it’s a part of the man they dearly miss.
Please keep your eyes peeled for this vehicle, it didn’t just disappear into thin air. The thief is going to try selling it somehow at some point. If you know anything about its theft, contact Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
Image via KIRO 7