Car shopper jumps into Dodge Charger and races away from dealership, Georgia cops say

A scene straight out of a heist movie played out this week in north Georgia, when officials say a car shopper jumped into a Dodge Charger and sped away from a dealership — with deputies in pursuit.

It happened at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, in Cumming, Georgia, about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

A police chase, car crash and foot chase ensued, officials said in a news release.

A 29-year-old was eventually taken into custody, along witha 24-year-old who gave him a ride to the car dealership in a stolen Camaro, officials said.

Investigators say both men were captured within 23 minutes, due largely to their bad timing.

The heist coincided with a nearby car accident, which meant multiple deputies were close to the Don Jackson North car dealership when the Charger took off down the highway, officials said.

A new Dodge Charger has a sticker price in the $42,000 range, and used ones run around $30,000, according to the dealership’s web site.

“The employee said two men came to the dealership in a red Camaro. One of the men went inside and asked to test drive a 2018 black Dodge Charger. As the salesperson attempted to get into the passenger seat, the man started the car and took off ... with the Camaro following,” deputies said.

“Little did these guys know several of our deputies were in the area finishing up with a traffic accident and were able to make contact with the red Camaro quickly. Meanwhile, the man in the stolen black Charger continued down Martin Road, where he crashed and fled on foot.”

The driver of the Charger was captured “after a brief foot chase,” officials said. He is being held without bond on charges of “theft by taking, theft by receiving a stolen vehicle, failure to maintain lane, and reckless driving,” officials said.

The driver of the Camaro is “charged with theft by taking, theft by receiving a stolen vehicle, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony,” officials said. His bond was set at $44,390, officials said.

This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Car shopper jumps into Dodge Charger and races away from dealership, Georgia cops say."