The Case of the Stolen Wheels

Last Sunday, November 18th, I came home about 7:15 pm to find a full house, my driveway full and and no place to park in front of my house. I had to park in front of my neighbor's house.

The next morning a little after 9:00 am I was going to go out and get a coffee. I was stunned (to say the least) to find a cop directing the loading of the 2019 Toyota Camry I was driving onto a flatbed tow truck. Then I saw that the wheels and tires were missing!

I asked the cop, a Tracy PD Sargent, what was going on. He said he couldn't determine who owned the car so they were towing it. I said I didn't own it but was driving it and that it belonged to Toyota USA. The cop said he'd asked some neighbors if they knew who it belonged to and they all said they didn't know. Funny that he asked my neighbors but never bothered to knock on my door. Whatever.

I called the people who deliver my press cars and we decided it should be towed to Tracy Toyota seeing as Toyota owned it and it did need new wheels and tires. The tow driver said he had to take it to his lot first. Okay fine.

I called the people who delivered the car again and explained that the car had to be towed to the lot but I'd call the tow company and see if they could take it to Tracy Toyota. I called the tow company and they said I needed to get a release from the PD first. Off I went to the Tracy PD.

Of course when I got there no one knew anything about it because the officer who had the car towed hadn't checked in yet. After a bit I was told that I couldn't have the vehicle released because I didn't own it! Oh come on.

One more call to the delivery company and they decided they'd just let their insurance company handle everything.

But wait - That's not the end of the story. Oh no.

There was another car in my neighborhood that was stripped of its wheels and tires, a new Honda Accord. It was around the corner and sitting on blocks. It sat there all Monday. I was wondering why it wasn't towed. Later Monday afternoon I found out why - PD's CSI unit came by and was processing the Honda for fingerprints! Unbelievable! The brand new Camry was towed (scrapping the rear valance in the process) yet the white Accord was left sitting on the side of the road for two days (it was moved sometime Tuesday).

I shouldn't be upset about this; after all it wasn't my car and I'm not out any money. But it does bother me. Honestly it makes no sense.

First if the PD really wanted to know who owned the car they could have run the plates. If they had really talked to my neighbors why didn't they talk to me? Why did they have to tow the Camry but not the Honda? Why dust the Honda for prints but not the Camry?

So many questions, no answers.