Now a story you’ll see on just one station: The crimes are brazen, happening in broad daylight and you could be the next victim! Hank reveals the new way thieves are swiping cars right out of your driveway, and where they end up: they may never be found. Hank Investigates.
Straight A student Amanda was psyched. Her parents bought her a car!
While the high school senior worked on getting her license, her Jetta sat parked in the family’s Medford driveway.
Amanda Beucler, Car Stolen: “I loved that car!”
But last week, when her mom pulled up to the house–she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Hank: “What did you see?”
Lisa Beucler, Victim’s Mother: “An empty driveway.”
Panicked – she called her husband.
Lisa Beucler, Victim’s Mother: “I said The cars not in the driveway do you have it?”
Hank: “and he said?”
Lisa Beucler, Victim’s Mother: “He said no.”
So where did the car go? Someone stole it in the middle of the day! And the neighbor across the street saw the whole thing!
Nancy Dilorenzo, Neighbor: "I saw two men in a flatbed tow thing pull across my driveway and hook the car up. I just figured someone bought his car or he was taking it to get fixed."
Amanda’s father called the Medford police – and here’s where they found the car: At a salvage yard miles away in Bridgewater. But Amanda will never get to drive it.
Her Jetta was crushed!
Amanda Beucler, Victim: “To be honest, I cried.”
We found these brazen tow-and-go car thefts are happening again and again!
At this Medford house, and this one, police told me…when no one was home, a tow truck pulled into the driveway, hooked up the car – and towed it to a salvage yard, where it was crushed!
Hank: “Have you ever seen a case like this before? “
Lt. Paul Covino, Medford PD: “No!”
Police told me thieves also towed cars from Wakefield and Boston!
The crooks can make 600 dollars a car when they sell them to a salvage yard.
Lt. Paul Covino, Medford PD: “It is lucrative, if you can do a couple of those a day, that’s a good day's pay.”
Police say the scheme works because people aren't likely to suspect a tow truck is actually stealing a car. And thieves know the evidence disappears.
Lt. Paul Covino, Medford PD: “They can crush that car and move it out of there faster than anyone knows about it.”
What's even more crushing for Amanda’s dad – her car wasn't even insured yet.
John Beucler, Victim’s Father: "It makes me furious!"
Medford police tell me they now have a suspect in Amanda’s case. And if you see a tow truck at your neighbor’s house – call police and let them make sure it’s legitimate.
(Copyright (c) 2012 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)