Doorbell video showed the Dodge Charger driven from a gated Tamarac community before the car was smashed and burned in northwest Miami-Dade.
MIAMI, FL — Detectives on Monday were still searching for the people seen in video stomping on and setting fire to a white Dodge Charger that had been stolen hours earlier from a Tamarac driveway, an incident investigators say unfolded during a street takeover on Dec. 27 in northwest Miami-Dade.
The case underscores a cross-county investigation spanning Broward and Miami-Dade after the car vanished from a residential community days after Christmas and later appeared in social media clips engulfed by flames as a crowd looked on. Miami-Dade officers are reviewing video and collecting tips while Broward deputies trace how the thief got the vehicle out of the gated neighborhood around midnight. Crime Stoppers is publicizing the case, and authorities said they’re seeking identifications for several people visible in the recordings.
Doorbell camera footage from the owner’s Tamarac home captured the Charger’s engine starting and a figure running past the house before the car pulled away just after midnight, according to the family. Hours later, a viral video from a street takeover showed a large crowd jumping on the same car and then a blaze erupting near an intersection in northwest Miami-Dade. “I had it eight years,” the owner, identified by family as Shawna, said in an interview. “I was never getting rid of it ’cause I love my car.” She said watching the footage of strangers smashing and torching it was “disturbing and sad.”
Investigators have not released names of any suspects or announced arrests. Detectives said they’re analyzing the online clips frame by frame to pinpoint faces, clothing and vehicles that might link participants to the scene. The footage shows multiple individuals climbing onto the Charger before flames take hold. Shawna said deputies told her the theft may have been enabled by a device that can mimic a key fob’s signal if it’s stored near an exterior wall; she said both fobs were inside at the time. Authorities have not publicly confirmed how the car was started. Miami-Dade officers are also canvassing for additional surveillance video from nearby businesses and homes.
The torching occurred during a gathering commonly labeled a street takeover, in which crowds converge at an intersection and cars perform stunts while spectators surround the scene. In this case, the Charger—already stolen—became the target of stomping and then arson, according to video circulated widely after Dec. 27. The owner said she had kept the car in pristine condition and had no plans to sell it. Family members described the neighborhood where the theft occurred as a quiet, gated community in Tamarac, north of Fort Lauderdale, and said the car had been parked in the driveway before midnight.
Officials said the investigation remains active on both sides of the county line. Miami-Dade police are handling the arson and crowd incident, while the Broward Sheriff’s Office is tracking the initial auto theft report from Tamarac. Detectives said they are gathering tips through Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers, which can accept anonymous information by phone. Evidence collection includes the Ring-style doorbell video, social media posts from the takeover and any in-car data that can be retrieved. Authorities did not announce a briefing schedule, and no court filings were available as of Monday. Any charging decisions will follow identifications and arrests by investigators.
Family members said the loss has complicated the start of the new year, leaving Shawna without her longtime car. “It’s not only sad for my car, but just sad for what the kids are doing these days,” she said, adding that she hopes the videos will help name those who destroyed it. The viral clips show bystanders edging close to the flames as the crowd disperses; smoke rises over the intersection as the vehicle burns to its frame. Neighbors in Tamarac told relatives they were stunned to learn the stolen car later appeared in a takeover outside their city.
As of late Monday, investigators had not identified the arsonists or the initial thief. Detectives plan to continue reviewing video and following leads this week while coordinating between Miami-Dade and Broward agencies. The next update is expected when police confirm identifications or announce arrests tied to the Dec. 27 torching.
Author note: Last updated January 5, 2026.