Hats off to the San Mateo County Sheriffs.
09-07-2007, 12:19 AM
#1
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Hats off to the San Mateo County Sheriffs.
So ducked out to grab a late dinner around 9:15 on Tuesday night and as I was getting in the Audi I noticed a white Miata parked right next to my silver Miata, about 20' away. Then I noticed the facing doors of BOTH cars were open.
I said "What the fvck" and out popped a 16yo kid from my car, and another kid leaned out of the white Miata's drivers seat. By the time I got over there the first kid hopped out of my car and into the passenger seat of the white Miata.
I did the first thing that came to mind, which was to pop open my phone and click on the camera. It was too dark looking in the back window of the Miata so I looked down and took a perfect, clear-as-day shot of the license plate.
<IMG SRC="http://www.parkerprojects.com/miataplate1.jpg">
Then I jumped out of the way as he backed up, turned and peeled out.
The whole thing lasted 45 seconds, tops.
The guy next door called 911, the sheriff showed up, and we checked the car out. At first I thought they were trying to steal it but what they'd taken out was everything to do with the power windows - center console (w/ switches), right door window motor. At least the kid doing the work used screwdrivers and disconnected the harness instead of crowbar + wirecutters.
They traced the plate to an address in RWC, but the house there said the owner didn't live there anymore. Dead end. They did get three perfect prints off the driver's window of my car (where they cut my nice Robbins cloth soft-top to get to the door lock).
<IMG SRC="http://www.parkerprojects.com/topcut.jpg">
Cut to tonight. I get a call from the officer who responded on Tuesday. They drove past the house tonight and...white Miata, illegally parked in front. They knocked on the door, said the car was parked illegally and asked if the driver was at home - when he came out it was a 16yo kid (his dad left him the car to sell before leaving town - hence the registered address being right - not that the people who answered the door on Tuesday made any effort to clarify who was currently driving the car). They asked how long he'd been driving it and he said two days. They asked what he was doing two days ago and he said he'd only been driving it one day. Then he started bawling, and turned in his (fingerprint-leaving) buddy, who already has a long record.
Pwned. They found my center console (with the switches and lock) in his car. The sheriff is having the other parts pulled off his car, and the court will contact me to provide a $$ restitution figure (from him) for the rest.
<IMG SRC="http://www.parkerprojects.com/miatadoor.jpg">
I had zero hope for this one an hour ago. Who knows what'll happen with the courts, but props to the sheriffs for sticking with a relatively minor case.
And yes, I need to wash the Miata (after I fix the top).
I said "What the fvck" and out popped a 16yo kid from my car, and another kid leaned out of the white Miata's drivers seat. By the time I got over there the first kid hopped out of my car and into the passenger seat of the white Miata.
I did the first thing that came to mind, which was to pop open my phone and click on the camera. It was too dark looking in the back window of the Miata so I looked down and took a perfect, clear-as-day shot of the license plate.
<IMG SRC="http://www.parkerprojects.com/miataplate1.jpg">
Then I jumped out of the way as he backed up, turned and peeled out.
The whole thing lasted 45 seconds, tops.
The guy next door called 911, the sheriff showed up, and we checked the car out. At first I thought they were trying to steal it but what they'd taken out was everything to do with the power windows - center console (w/ switches), right door window motor. At least the kid doing the work used screwdrivers and disconnected the harness instead of crowbar + wirecutters.
They traced the plate to an address in RWC, but the house there said the owner didn't live there anymore. Dead end. They did get three perfect prints off the driver's window of my car (where they cut my nice Robbins cloth soft-top to get to the door lock).
<IMG SRC="http://www.parkerprojects.com/topcut.jpg">
Cut to tonight. I get a call from the officer who responded on Tuesday. They drove past the house tonight and...white Miata, illegally parked in front. They knocked on the door, said the car was parked illegally and asked if the driver was at home - when he came out it was a 16yo kid (his dad left him the car to sell before leaving town - hence the registered address being right - not that the people who answered the door on Tuesday made any effort to clarify who was currently driving the car). They asked how long he'd been driving it and he said two days. They asked what he was doing two days ago and he said he'd only been driving it one day. Then he started bawling, and turned in his (fingerprint-leaving) buddy, who already has a long record.
Pwned. They found my center console (with the switches and lock) in his car. The sheriff is having the other parts pulled off his car, and the court will contact me to provide a $$ restitution figure (from him) for the rest.
<IMG SRC="http://www.parkerprojects.com/miatadoor.jpg">
I had zero hope for this one an hour ago. Who knows what'll happen with the courts, but props to the sheriffs for sticking with a relatively minor case.
And yes, I need to wash the Miata (after I fix the top).
09-07-2007, 01:00 AM
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congrats dan, glad to see some good outcome for these thiefing teens.
I've had my white miata "broken" into by kids in my neighborhood and onetime found my door left open early one morning (prolly heard me coming out my front door) with my glove compartment stuff strewn all over my passenger seat. They've made off with my cheap CD player once. Just glad I've never caught one in the act for fear of what I'd do to one of them.
09-07-2007, 06:49 AM
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Damn, well at least you got a result...
Sorry to see about your car, but it is nice when the police actually follow up on "minor" crime...
You should post this story on the Cali forum on Miata.net...
You should post this story on the Cali forum on Miata.net...
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09-07-2007, 08:50 AM
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That kid should go to Juvenile hall. I have zero tolerance for this crap.
I work hard for the things I own and I hate it when idiots think they can take illegal shortcuts.
I hope they all burn in hell.
I hope they all burn in hell.
09-07-2007, 09:03 AM
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OT: Hey Dan, I've got a coworker that's trying to start a non-profit for a mentorship program around
building airplanes!
Would you be interested in anything like this?
Sounds like an awesome idea...helping kids, having fun, building planes
Would you be interested in anything like this?
Sounds like an awesome idea...helping kids, having fun, building planes
