Three in the morning is apparently prime time for automotive redistribution in Detroit. Last Wednesday, a crew of thieves crashed through the perimeter of a third-party lot at Mack and Conner, tore down entire fence sections, and executed their exit strategy using the very vehicles they’d just stolen. By dawn, nearly a dozen brand-new Rams, Jeeps, and Dodge Durangos had vanished from the lot adjacent to Stellantis’s Detroit Assembly Complex-Jefferson. One truck got stuck in deep snow during the getaway and had to be abandoned.
Stellantis issued the corporate equivalent of a shrug to CBS Detroit, confirming cooperation with police while declining details “as investigations are ongoing.” Translation: we have no idea how to stop this from happening again.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. It’s the latest episode in a disturbingly well-rehearsed series of organized auto thefts targeting Metro Detroit’s assembly plants. March 2025 saw seven vehicles lifted from a Toledo Stellantis lot, including a Dodge Durango that led police on a high-speed chase down Interstate 75 before the driver bailed on foot.
Previous heists across Michigan and Ohio have featured high-end Ram pickups, Jeep Wranglers, and various Chrysler products, all demonstrating the kind of audacity that would be impressive if it weren’t so infuriating. Security footage from earlier thefts shows suspects attempting to ram new vehicles straight through gates and guard posts before law enforcement intervened.
The vulnerability is structural. Automakers rely on sprawling third-party lots to hold finished inventory before shipping to dealerships. These facilities can span dozens of acres, secured by little more than chain-link fencing and occasional patrols.
The economic ripple effects extend beyond missing inventory. Dealers depend on steady vehicle flow to meet customer orders and sales targets. When dozens of units disappear overnight, deliveries get delayed, dealers scramble for replacement stock, and insurance premiums climb for everyone involved. Add the cost of enhanced security measures, and the price tag multiplies quickly.
Residents near these facilities grow understandably frustrated watching property crimes become routine neighborhood features. “It’s so scary, man. Police need to do something,” Nirmarjat Singh told CBS News. “This whole area is dangerous, they steal all the time”.
