I-84 Stop Uncovers Stolen Car Sold in Texas With Altered VIN

VERNON, CT — A routine traffic stop on Interstate-84 uncovered a car stolen from Nevada that had been taken to Texas and sold under altered identification numbers, state police said.

At 5:45 p.m. on June 16, a trooper in a Dodge Charger was on patrol on the eastbound side of I-84 in Vernon when he saw another Dodge Charger drive by with an expired temporary plate out of Texas, according to a report.

The trooper pulled the car over and requested paperwork from the driver, who was from Houston, according to a report. The trooper determined the car was a 2016 Dodge Charger, but the paperwork indicated the car was a 2013 model, state police said.

The trooper then asked the driver for a search consent, which was granted, and the vehicle identification number under the hood showed the car had been stolen in Las Vegas in 2016, according to a report. A different VIN had been substituted on the dashboard, state police said.

State police said the driver had been "victimized by an illegitimate car dealer in Houston" and they had to confiscate the Charger. She was able to leave the scene with family members, who were there in a separate vehicle, according to a report.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

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