Authorities in San Antonio used Operation Hellcat Mike to bust several individuals accused of stealing and re-vinning cars. It’s hopefully a critical hit against car theft activity in the area and yet another recent victory for law enforcement.
A car rental agency was renting stolen cars, then stealing them from customers.
Just like in other recent busts, this one focused on a group of individuals allegedly operating a chop shop. They used a building in an industrial park to operate without arousing suspicions, but police still caught on to what they were doing.
According to police, these guys would steal a Hellcat, then get a regular Dodge Charger or Challenger. They would swap the Hellcat parts into the other car and sell it online for about half what a Hellcat would go for on the open market.
This is why we tell people if they find an incredible deal on a desirable vehicle, beware. There’s a strong chance the car is stolen or you’re getting scammed some other way. But too many shoppers get excited and can’t shove their money in the hands of the seller fast enough.
Police are warning the public that Hellcat Mike, the ringleader of the whole operation, liked to apply oversized Hellcat Redeye graphics to cars he had built using stolen parts. In other words, if you’ve bought a ride with that on it, or you’re shopping for one and see that, it’s reason to be suspicious.
They’re asking anyone who sees a car with a big logo like that on it to contact police so they can check it out.
We love seeing these busts of larger operations. With car theft raging out of control for years in so much of the country, it’s high time police get more aggressive and go for the bigger fish in these crimes. Those who run chop shops drive a lot of the demand for stolen vehicles, so we hope to see many more busts like this in the near future.
Image via KENS 5: Your San Antonio News Source/YouTube
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