Man pays $1,100 to have stolen car returned to him from impound lot, car is towed from his home only 15 minutes later by police
Detroit resident Arthur Williams has been presented with a real puzzler. Why, after paying $1,100 to have his stolen car returned to him from an impound lot, did police come and take it away only 15 minutes later? Mr. Williams, who documented the incident with his cell phone camera, brought the story to WJBK FOX 2 News.
The 30-year-old’s 2000 Monte Carlo was stolen from in front of his mother’s house last summer. Finally, several months later, Williams was told that his car had been found and was available to him at Bobby’s Towing, which keeps impounded cars on their lot for the police. He paid up (which totally stinks, by the way. I’ll never understand why car theft victims have to pay to have their cars returned), and then had his car delivered to his home. It was missing its tires, but Mr. Williams planned on putting the wheels on when the weather warmed up. After it had been delivered, he went to go pick up his kids. But when he got back…the car was gone.
When Williams returned home, he saw the car was missing. He went across the street to his neighbor, Hope Buckman. She told WJBK, "I noticed the same tow truck driver that actually delivered the car with my neighbors come back and pick up the exact same car - 15 minutes later.” When she was asked if she was 100% sure it was the same guy, Buckman said, “I am 100% sure it is the same guy. Actually, he was kind of handsome. I was checking him out.”
Williams was confused why his car was taken away, telling WJBK, “I don't know why they took my car. I paid $1,100 to get my car out again and then ya'll take my car away.” He took out his camera again, to document how the removal of the car destroyed part of his fence. Beyond that, the front of the car was seriously damaged, too. He says the car’s hood didn’t look anything like it did when he went to go visit it at Bobby’s Towing the second time around.
Mr. Williams asked the police department why his car was taken away, and he was told it was towed because it had been parked in the driveway of an abandoned house. That, of course, isn’t true, because it was parked in the driveway of the house he lives in. When WJBK looked into the matter, they confirmed with Bobby’s Towing that the car had been cleared for release by police. When the station spoke with the Detroit Police Department, they said they are, “trying to verify Williams’ report in the system. Once they do that, they say they are happy to work with him if his car was towed from his yard when it should not have been.”
More info: WJBK
