Killeen, Tx (FOX 44) – A suspect in the theft of a Dodge Charger Hellcat from a Killeen dealership has been found in Virginia and brought back to face charges.
Kevin Ray Gibson, Jr. was an active duty soldier arrested at Fort Eustis, Virginia, and is one of two men accused of taking the specialized vehicle and dismantling it for parts with plans to put the engine in another car.
Connors Jerome Trader, Jr. had been arrested locally earlier.
On December 28, 2024, Killeen police responded a stolen vehicle report from McLeod Auto Sales in the 3400 block of East Stan Schlueter Loop. Officers were told that a grey Dodge Charger Hellcat had been stolen. Surveillance video showed men using a silver Dodge Charger to push the special vehicle onto a trailer.
During the investigation, detectives followed up on a tip that led them to a location in the 500 block of Angus Circle where they found a trailer, a grey Dodge Charger and a white Chrysler 300 with missing parts. They also discovered a Chrysler/Dodge engine, a Hellcat trunk lid and found there had been an engine swap in the Chrysler 300.
The trailer used was a rental that had a tracking device on it installed by the rental company. Using data from it, detectives learned that it had at one point been moved from Killeen to a residence in Little River. Using GPS data connected with the trailer detectives went to the location in Little River where they located the dismantled Hellcat.
Detectives obtained access to text messages between Gibson and Trader, revealing discussions about targeting the Hellcat, planning the theft and distributing its parts.
Detectives with the KPD Property Crimes Unit presented the case to the Bell County District Attorney’s Office , resulting in two complaints for Theft of Property and the issuance of arrest warrants.
Trader was arrested locally on February 5. Gibson was arrested by Fort Eustis officers. He was brought back from Virginia and booked into the Bell County Jail Tuesday night.
The Hellcat was an ultra high performance car that was taken out of production in 2023. It sported a supercharged 6.2 liter engine rated at 797 horsepower and was touted as the most powerful mass produced muscle car and the fastest four-door muscle car.