Dodge Charger too hot in Detroit area

More than 1,000 Dodge Chargers have been stolen across southeastern Michigan in the past year, including some thefts from dealership lots, according to a police department in the region.

Among the latest to disappear are two 2021 Charger Scat Pack models taken Feb. 2 from LaFontaine Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Saline.

Deputy Police Chief Marlene Radzik told The Saline Post last week that investigators weren't sure how the thieves started the cars and that local authorities have been investigating more than 1,000 cases of Chargers being taken.

In December, police in Sterling Heights warned owners of Dodge Challengers and Chargers to keep their cars locked after thieves led them on four high-speed chases over a 10-day period. Those incidents followed an attempted robbery of Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats from a dealership in the city that was foiled by a cleaning crew.

The Highway Loss Data Institute listed the Charger Hemi and Challenger Hellcat as the two most stolen vehicles in the country in 2019, with theft rates more than five times the national average.