A Maryland mother says her son’s prized graduation gift has been stolen twice in less than a week, leaving her questioning how a high-performance sports car could disappear from both a residential neighborhood and later a dealership lot.
The vehicle, a 2023 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 valued at approximately $80,000, was originally stolen from a neighborhood in Beltsville on Memorial Day. The car had special significance for the family because it was purchased as a reward for their son’s academic achievements.
“I got that for him as a gift from me and his dad,” Arnett previously told News4. “For someone to come and take that from us is very hurtful.”
The Camaro was purchased after the young man earned his third graduate degree from the University of Maryland, according to family members.
A Brief Recovery
Following media coverage of the theft, the sports car was located abandoned on a street in Adelphi, Maryland, the next day.
Authorities recovered the vehicle and transported it to a police lot, where investigators processed it for evidence. Afterward, the Camaro was sent to an AutoNation dealership in Laurel for inspection.
For a brief period, it appeared the family’s ordeal was over.
Instead, it was only beginning.
Stolen Again From a Dealership Lot
Just two days after the vehicle arrived at the dealership, Arnett received another shocking phone call.
“She said, ‘Ms. Arnett, where’s the car?’” Arnett recalled. “And I said, ‘Excuse me? The car is with you guys.’”
The response left her stunned:
“She said, ‘We have checked the whole lot. The car is gone. It’s been stolen again.’”
Arnett said her heart immediately sank:
“I said, okay, my heart dropped.”
According to information relayed to her by dealership personnel, the theft occurred in broad daylight. An employee reportedly witnessed someone enter the lot, get into the Camaro, and drive away.
“He said he thought it was a technician that was taking my son’s car, pulling it out to go into the garage and start the inspection of the car,” Arnett said. “He said he actually seen the guy come on the lot, get in the car and drive off.”
Family Questions Security Measures
The second theft has raised questions for the family about how the vehicle could disappear from a dealership after already being identified as stolen property.
Arnett said she has not received satisfactory explanations about the circumstances surrounding the latest theft.
She has since filed a report with the Laurel Police Department and hopes investigators can determine who is responsible.
Attempts by reporters to obtain answers from dealership representatives were unsuccessful, according to News4.
Fear That the Car Is Being Targeted
The unusual circumstances have led Arnett to believe the Camaro may have been specifically targeted.
“This is GTA,” she said, referencing the popular Grand Theft Auto video game franchise. “This is some type of GTA that’s going on here.”
For Arnett, the fact that someone allegedly entered a dealership lot and drove away with the vehicle in broad daylight suggests a level of determination that concerns her deeply.
“For them to go on a lot and take a car, that shows like they don’t care,” she said. “They’re going to go to any means necessary to get what they want.”
“And they did. They got my son’s car again.”
Safety Now Comes First
While the Camaro represented a major milestone and symbolized years of hard work and academic success, Arnett says her priorities have changed.
The repeated thefts have convinced her that even if the vehicle is recovered again, she no longer wants her son driving it.
“His safety is number one,” she said.
Instead of hoping for another recovery and return of the sports car, the family is focused on finding a safer alternative.
“We’re going to put him in something where he’s safe,” Arnett said.
As investigators continue searching for the missing Camaro, the family says the experience has transformed what was meant to be a celebration of educational achievement into an ongoing ordeal marked by uncertainty, frustration, and concerns about safety.
