After failed stick-shift theft, burglars return to Tasca and steal Challengers
See video here - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HUWlZeIv3lc
Employees say the Woonsocket dealership was targeted twice in approximately one week. During the first break-in, one suspect reportedly could not drive a manual transmission. This time, the group apparently brought someone who could.
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Apparently, the second time was the charm.
Employees at Tasca Chevrolet in Woonsocket told Sisca News Network that burglars recently returned to the dealership and stole multiple Dodge Challengers, approximately one week after an earlier break-in produced a less successful getaway.
During the first incident, one of the alleged perpetrators reportedly tried to steal a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission but could not drive it.
When the dealership was targeted again, the group appeared to have corrected that particular problem.
This time, employees said, the burglars brought someone who could drive a stick shift.
SNN visited the dealership and filmed the aftermath of the latest break-in. Employees at the scene confirmed that Dodge Challengers had been stolen.
The exact number and descriptions of the stolen vehicles have not yet been independently confirmed through police records. It was also not immediately clear whether investigators believe the same individuals were involved in both incidents.
SNN has submitted a request to the Woonsocket Police Department under Rhode Island’s Access to Public Records Act seeking the initial incident report, police narrative, dispatch records, descriptions of the stolen vehicles and the publicly releasable status of the investigation.
The dealership break-ins come as high-performance Dodge vehicles continue to attract thieves because of their value, horsepower and potential resale value. Challengers and Chargers have frequently been targeted in dealership thefts and organized vehicle-theft operations around the country.
No arrests have been publicly confirmed in connection with the Woonsocket incidents.
This story will be updated when the Woonsocket Police Department responds to SNN’s records request or releases additional information.
Watch SNN’s original video from Tasca Chevrolet below:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HUWlZeIv3lc
Reporting and original video by George Sisca II/Sisca News Network.
UPDATE, Aug. 21, 2026: The Woonsocket Police Department has confirmed that the incident is the subject of an active, ongoing criminal investigation.
The department denied SNN’s request for the incident report, dispatch record and related materials, citing a Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act exemption for law-enforcement records whose release could interfere with a criminal investigation or enforcement proceedings.
Police have not yet publicly confirmed the number or descriptions of the vehicles reportedly stolen, whether the dealership was targeted twice, or whether investigators believe the same individuals were involved in both incidents. Those details were provided to SNN by dealership employees.