(La Porte, IN) - Four sports cars were stolen from a La Porte dealership and chased by police toward Chicago at close to 150 miles per hour.

 

All of the suspects got away but detectives from multiple law enforcement agencies were hopeful of identifying the culprits at some point in the investigation.  “Everybody is working together on this,” said La Porte Police Chief Paul Brettin.

 

Brettin said the Dodge Chargers and Dodge Challengers were taken early Saturday from La Porte Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram on Pine Lake Avenue near Johnson Road.  The vehicles were inside the service garage which was forced open.  “These are high dollar sought after cars.  That’s why they’re placed inside at night,” he said.  Brettin said the burglary triggered an alarm which led to a chase toward Michigan City on U.S. 35 to U.S. 20 then Interstate 94.

 

According to Indiana State Police, one of the drivers after running out of gas fled on foot and jumped 30 feet off the Cline Avenue bridge in Gary to evade officers.  Brettin said the only stolen car recovered was the vehicle that ran out of fuel.

 

Dodge Chargers and Dodge Challengers along with other models have also been stolen at other dealerships in Northwest Indiana and the Chicago area.  Brettin said it appears the stolen vehicles are being taken to chop shops for harvesting the parts especially the engines and transmissions.