Christina had lived in Washington Township, New Jersey, her entire life. Two years ago, she decided to celebrate a major milestone—her 50th birthday—by buying a car she knew she’d always be happy driving: a 2023 Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT Scat Pack Widebody. She paid around $86,365 for the 6.4-liter V8 HEMI that makes close to 500 horsepower.

Only 500 of the models matching her Dodge’s specifications were produced, making it exceptionally rare.

“For my 50th birthday, I decided I was gonna go out…and buy myself the car I’ve always loved,” she told WPVI.

Understanding her car’s monetary and sentimental value, she was typically careful about parking it in her garage. If she didn’t park it in the garage, she’d block the driveway with her other vehicle to prevent it from being stolen.

The one time she let her guard down, she watched it disappear, in the full light of day, in minutes.

“I’m aware of it being a rare vehicle, this is my dream car, I worked hard for it. I know they are stolen often. I put it in the garage or block it in the driveway. This morning, I was running late and I didn’t,” she said.

Even the police were stunned by the Hellcat thieves’ confidence

Police Chief Patrick Gursick had been an officer of the region for decades, so he’s not surprised by much. This particular theft, though, caused him to raise his eyebrows.

“It’s brazen. I’ve worked here 30 years, I’ve never seen a car stolen like that in broad daylight hours,” said Gursick. “At least two subjects are wearing ski masks.”

The security camera highlighted every single detail of the crime, including how they managed to get in and steal her Hellcat with minimal collateral damage.

“They broke the rear window on the vehicle, then went through the window… plugged a diagnostics tool into the computer dash and were able to get the car started by cloning the key,” he said.

Police are looking for three suspects, one driving a red Honda Civic Type R and a gray Honda Accord, which officers suspect are also stolen.

Viewers think the thieves were waiting for the perfect time to strike

Those who watched 6ABC’s YouTube video felt bad for Christina, but many failed to understand why she didn’t take the extra time to protect her car.

“This is why you keep those kinds of cars in a garage,” they wrote. “I don’t understand why it’s outside if you have a two-car garage.”

Another wrote they suspect the thieves have been waiting in the shadows for some time.

“The crazy part is they must have been sitting and watching her house, for she left it out of the garage,” their comment read. “That’s scary.”

Someone else said a nice neighborhood isn’t necessarily synonymous with a safe one.

“Just because you live in a nice neighborhood doesn’t mean someone won’t follow you when you get groceries,” they wrote. “But then again, you should secure your car better if you know it’s rare and your dream car.”