Victim Of Suspected Repeat Car Thief Frustrated With Legal System

The victim of a crime is frustrated after being charged with a misdemeanor as he said he was only trying to get back his stolen truck.

Philip Weiland’s truck was stolen in July and Weiland chased down the suspect, fired a gun into the ground to scare the suspect and he was arrested.

The suspect did the same crime in a different county, just two months later.

The victim has been charged with misdemeanor reckless handling of a firearm.

Weiland said he feels like he's being punished, even though he's the victim. He said John Naylor stole his truck from his driveway in July. Weiland chased after Naylor, but Naylor rammed into his car, which damaged both vehicles.

"Currently I'm out about $5,000 to $6,000 and I still haven’t gotten everything taken care of,” Weiland said. “Now I don't know how much court and stuff is going to cost, with lawyers, to handle all of that.”

Weiland then learned Naylor was released on bond and arrested again in September for leading police on a chase in another stolen car.

Weiland was surprised to learn, just this month, he’s been charged with a misdemeanor for recklessly firing a gun back in July.

"They got the bad guy. I didn't think they'd go after me on top of it,” Weiland said. “I wasn't shooting like crazy. I just shot into the ground to scare him and it worked. It scared him and it stopped him.”  

Records show Naylor has been in and out of prison since 2012 for stealing, driving stolen cars and more.

"People working hard just to get by to get things and I just don't understand how anyone thinks they can come and just take it,” said Weiland.

Records show Naylor did plead guilty to the September charges and got a seven-year prison sentence. He’s looking at a possible twenty-year sentence for Weiland’s case.

The Wagoner County DA said Weiland was charged because he fired the gun as the suspect was running and it ricocheted off a fence.