Police pursuing stolen vehicles in Hancock County

GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Greenfield police say they recovered one of two high-performance vehicles stolen early Wednesday morning.

A black 2017 Dodge Charger Hellcat and an orange 2018 Dodge Charger Hellcat were stolen from Dellen Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram on U.S. 40.

The stolen vehicles have a keyless ignition, and the dealership’s owner believes the suspects used some highly-sophisticated equipment to start the vehicles.

“There is a portal, so to speak, underneath the steering wheel,” Dellen Automotive Group President Nick Dellen said. “It appears they were using something like that to plug into it, to get the vehicle I would say, booted up.”

Police won’t confirm if such a device was used. However, officers say someone at a nearby business alerted them of the theft in progress.

Both stolen vehicles, along with a third vehicle that brought the suspects to the scene, headed west on U.S. 40.

“An officer from the New Palestine Police Department, and the Cumberland Police Department, had actually gotten into a short pursuit with the vehicles. They started to pursue, but due to the weather conditions and the speed of that vehicle, they terminated that pursuit pretty quick,” Greenfield Deputy Chief Charles McMichael said.

One of the stolen vehicles was recovered at East 75th street and Shadeland Avenue in Indianapolis. The value of the vehicles ranges from $50,000 to $60,000.

Police say other cities like Carmel, Fishers and Greenwood have experienced similar thefts.

“They appear to be very similar, similar vehicles, and potentially similar in the ways they vehicles are being taken,” McMichael said.

Investigators think the suspects are targeting smaller communities because they won’t be noticed and can escape town quickly.