FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – The owner of a South Florida car dealership hopes surveillance video leads to the capture of the thieves who, he said, stole a Jeep valued at $200,000 that can be seen on the big screen.
Joseph Ghattas, the owner of SoFlo Jeeps in Fort Lauderdale, is still reeling from early Thursday morning’s theft.
“You don’t expect your car to get stolen like out of a video game,” he said.
It’s not just any car. The Jeep, an Apocalypse Hellfire, is massive and very expensive.
“It’s a high horse power, diesel, six-wheel drive, luxury monster,” he said.
Speaking with 7News on Friday, Ghattas described the heist that, he said, went down at around 3 a.m.
“A couple of guys got in the car with a laptop, programmed it, started it up and left with the vehicle,” he said.
Ghattas said the theft took place after he spent three months building the high-end Jeep for a customer.
Ghattas said he drove it to his house, located behind the dealership, off Broward Boulevard, and left it there overnight.
When he woke up, he said, the distinctive six-wheel beast was gone.
The surveillance video captured the subjects at work.
“The Mustang pulls up, passes the house. A guy gets out of the car, jogs back to the vehicle, gets in the car,” said Ghattas. “It starts right up, all the lights come on, they back up and zoom away, and them and the Mustang go down 14th [Avenue] to Broward [Boulevard]. We don’t know where they went from there.”
Ghattas said the truck is easy to spot, especially since it’s featured in the trailer for the upcoming movie “The Lost City,” starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.
The car dealership owner hopes the vehicle’s unique features will make it stand out when tracking it down.
“I’m really, really hoping someone sees this car, spots it. It doesn’t fit in a lot of garages or parking spaces. It’s massive,” he said.
Anyone with information on the location of the stolen Apocalypse Hellfire is urged to call SoFlo Jeeps at 954-306-6163. Ghattas is offering a $5,000 reward, no questions asked.
If you have any information on this theft or the subjects’ whereabouts, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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