by A real nightmare for the family: $80,000 Camaro stolen twice in one week
A family from Maryland is living through a real-life detective story that feels more like a plot from the Grand Theft Auto video game. A gifted Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 worth $80,000 was first stolen, then found, and a few days later stolen again right from the dealer’s lot.
A gift for the third diploma
The car belonged to the son of Mimi Arnett. Together with the boy’s father, she bought this supercharged Camaro as a graduation gift after the son received his third diploma from the University of Maryland. Yes, that’s right — a third diploma. And yes, an $80,000 Camaro. Some people give a card and dinner, while others give a supercharged V8 engine.
First theft and recovery
The trouble began over Memorial Day weekend. The Camaro disappeared from in front of the family’s home in Beltsville, Maryland. Fortunately, this episode ended quickly: the police found the car abandoned on a nearby street and returned it to the owners.
After law enforcement completed all procedures, the car was sent to the AutoNation dealership where it was purchased for a technical inspection. That is where the story turned from an ordinary theft into a real farce. According to Arnett, two days later she received an unexpected call from the dealership.
“[The dealer] said, ‘Mrs. Arnett, where is the car?’ I replied, ‘Excuse me? The car is with you.’ She said, ‘We checked the entire lot. The car is gone. It’s been stolen again.’ My heart sank,” Arnett recalls in an interview with News4 Washington, whose coverage of the first theft had helped find the car.
Stolen in broad daylight
The situation becomes even more absurd. Arnett says that one of the dealership employees actually witnessed the theft but thought everything was fine.
“He said he thought it was a technician taking my son’s car to pull it into the garage and start the inspection. He saw a guy walk onto the lot, get into the car, and drive away,” Arnett recounted.
Family’s decision: safety above all
At this point, Arnett believes the Camaro attracts too much attention. Even if the car is found again, her son will not keep it.
“His safety is the most important thing,” says the woman who gifted her son a 650-horsepower (658 hp) muscle car with a V8 engine capable of reaching 200 mph. “We’re going to put him in something where he will be safe.”
Chevrolet
This story demonstrates how attractive expensive sports cars can be to criminals, even after they have been returned to their owners. The theft right from a dealer’s lot, where the car was supposed to be safe, raises serious questions about the level of security and control at such facilities. The family’s decision to give up the car for the sake of their son’s safety is entirely understandable, as the second theft suggests that criminals may be targeting the specific vehicle. It is worth noting that even after a car is returned to its owners, the risk of re-theft remains high, especially if information about the car’s location becomes public. This case also serves as a reminder of the importance of additional security measures, such as GPS trackers and immobilizers, even for temporary storage of a vehicle on a dealer’s lot.
