'I was just working on it,' cries driver who woke up to his car towed – then found it missing battery & bumper in a shop | 6503BIK | 2024-05-02 12:08:01
A TOW truck driver in an unmarked truck effectively stole a man's car from an apartment complex, leaving a family without a vehicle.
The man's car was later found to have been sold to an auto parts store missing key parts.
Jahrey Johnson and his mother, Nikita Robinson, live in Memphis, Tennessee, and share a red Chrysler.
On April 29, Robinson and Johnson woke up to find their car was missing from their apartment's parking lot.
"It was shocking because I was just working on it Sunday morning," Johnson told FOX affiliate WHBQ.
They quickly called the police assuming it was stolen, and it was – by a man driving an unmarked tow truck.
Footage revealed a man dressed in all black driving the truck, hooking it up, and taking it away.
Johnson told the outlet the complex did not give the man authority to tow the vehicle away, putting the two in a complicated position.
"You are putting a big inconvenience on a person's daily life by just taking their car," said Robinson.
A few days after their report was filed, police found their car at an LKQ auto parts shop, where the tow truck driver sold it.
Key parts were missing from the Chrysler, too.
"There is someone out there, boldly taking cars and making a profit," said Robinson.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> "The battery was stolen. We tried to get the tags, but the tags couldn't be given back because they no longer had those. The bumper was taken off."
The shop's owner confirmed that when buying a car from a private party, proof of ownership is required to finalize a sale if the model year is newer than 2010.
That rule, however, does not apply to vehicles brought in on tow trucks.
Robinson felt strongly about that policy.
"These guys can come pick up any car like it's that easy," he said.
"If it's under 2010, you don't need the paperwork, you don't need the keys or anything to sell the car."
<p class="article__content--intro"> Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle. </p> </div> </div> WHBQ reporter Cierra Johnson reached out to LKQ corporate but has not heard anything back.
Viewers of the outlet's video posted to YouTube had strong feelings about the tow truck driver utilizing a loose policy to profit.
"That's a bad look on LKQ for accepting cars from any unmarked tow trucks," one commenter wrote.
"Sure hope that the young man's auto insurance company gave him something so that he can replace his stolen vehicle."
Some viewers accused the shop of doubling as a chop shop.
"I remember when chop shops were illegal," another viewer wrote.
Another user felt this case was a wake-up call for Memphis to issue stricter regulations on tow truck drivers.
"There needs to be a LOT more regulation in the towing and especially the car wrecking industry to combat thieves like these," their comment read.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to LKQ for comment.
More >> https://ift.tt/cT5ntjJ Source: MAG NEWS
