Classic car thefts

Car thefts that really hurt. One victim is a woman whose husband has been serving in the war for the past two years, the other, is a young man who bought his first car a few weeks ago and now someone

Monday, August 22nd 2005, 2:38 pm

By: News On 6

Car thefts that really hurt. One victim is a woman whose husband has been serving in the war for the past two years, the other, is a young man who bought his first car a few weeks ago and now someone else is driving around in his classic Chevelle.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright has their stories.

Mary[pictured] is a military wife, raising her three children alone for the past 18 months while her husband is with the Marines, fighting in the war in Iraq. She says the sacrifices are hard enough without adding into the mix, having her car stolen. "When I do talk to my husband, I have to tell him the car is gone. I find it ironic that he's in the war, putting his life on the line every day and I wake up to go get in my car and it's gone."

Losing the car was hard enough, but losing her sense of safety was even worse, because the car was taken out of her drive-way, just feet from her home. The good news is, police found the car, but her son's wallet was missing out of it and it had his military ID inside, so the new fear is identity theft. "I didn't want to tell him, but I had to tell him cause of the military ID, which has his name, rank and social security number on it."

Across town, Rodney is giving up hope his stolen car will be recovered. It was his very first car and he saved up to buy his dream, a 1971 Chevelle SS. "I was really mad, really, really mad." He'd only owned it three weeks, now; he's posted the pictures on eBay so others will know it's stolen.

He's hoping for the best, but is afraid the worst has already happened, that's it's been wrecked or chopped up for parts. "Now, I'm trying to get around in my mom's car. I'll eventually get another car, I don't know if it'll be a Chevelle, but it'll be another car I can drive."