TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A group that stole nearly $2.5 million worth of vehicles in Florida has been dismantled, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday.
“Operation Family Affair” spanned from March 18 to Aug. 18 of this year and centered around Rafael Garcia and his 16-year-old brother, who the sheriff’s office said played a role in the theft of over 30 vehicles from more than 20 dealerships dating back to Dec. 2023.
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Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office -
Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office -
Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office -
Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
The thefts occurred in Columbia, Pasco, Pinellas, Alachua, Marion, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee, Collier, and Hillsborough counties.
The sheriff’s office said the suspects would smash a window or sunroof to get into the vehicle and use a programmer to create a new key. The cars would then be taken to a storage unit and stripped for parts or sold to a buyer.
Vehicles stolen included high-end Chrysler models such as Charger Hellcat and Challenger Hellcat. Other high-end models targeted included the Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet Camaro, Jeep TrackHawk, and Dodge Ram TRX.