Stolen car found, only to be stolen again

[TowZone]

NATIONAL CITY —  A stolen car found Tuesday outside a house in National City was stolen a second time while the vehicle owner, who had gone to recover his car, waited for a tow truck, police said.

 

A resident on Harbison Avenue called police about 9:15 a.m. to report a random white Nissan Sentra parked in his driveway. The resident provided the license plate number to a dispatcher, who looked up the number and found that the car had been reported stolen in El Cajon on Monday, National City police Capt. Alex Hernandez said.

 

The owner of the Sentra met officers at the home where the car had been found. Police took a report and left.

 

The vehicle owner told OnScene TV he sat in a rental car as he waited for a tow truck to haul away the Sentra. When stepped out to smoke a cigarette, the suspected car thief, who apparently still had keys to the Sentra, returned and drove away in the car.

 

The vehicle owner described the thief as a heavy-set man with a scruffy beard, wearing a black shirt over a white undershirt.

 

RESOURCE LINK

 

My Only Question: Why would you not block your car in the driveway? Obviously the vehicle owner did not own another set of keys... I just thought this was a Good, Bad and Ugly Story involving waiting for a Tow Truck.

[rreschran]

... one shouldn't have to block their car in their driveway unless it's about to be repossessed. This part of San Diego County is only a few miles to the International border crossing to Mexico when many, many cars wind up.     R.

 

[mooresbp]

On 2/26/2020 at 3:55 PM, TowZone said:

My Only Question: Why would you not block your car in the driveway?

Seems obvious to us but....

 

Most people don't have the bad guy mentality that we seem to have

 

[TowZone]

George, we have seen and experienced far more than the general public when it comes to criminal behavior. Well, at least us seasoned tow operators have been exposed and take precautions. Sadly, new Tow Operators are still subject to the School of Hard Knocks. I would have hoped over the nearly 20 years this message board has been online fewer rookie operators would not have to go through what we have. However, if you look at most companies they continue to make the same errors over and over.

[silverhawk]

This makes a good case to impound the vehicle, for safe keeping, and let the owner redeem at the tow yard.  IMO

[TowZone]

Silverhawk, You mean you don't have to return stolen cars to the owner for FREE yet?

[silverhawk]

No, but I hate to say never. I explain that our safeguarding their property is like a safety deposit box.  You don't pay for the service, you can't retrieve what's in it.  Call your insurance carrier, they may pay?  With a current registration they can however retrieve the personal contents that are not attached to the vehicle.