The jeep has been sitting in front of our house for sale for a few days. Yesterday a woman came to Ben and asked him if she could take it for a test drive. Ben excited to have someone interested and being very trusting, gave the woman the keys and said "Yeah, just take it around the block."
The woman was on her way. I was inside on the phone when she pulled away. I finished my phone call (about 20 minutes) and asked Ben who the lady was and if he knew how long she was going to be. He said she should be back any minute and he didn't get the womans name. I started to get worried and began the 20 questions. After about 45 minutes and pouring rain I was really conserned something happened to the woman so I took the car and went looking for any sign of the woman or our Jeep. I drove around for about 30 minutes, the car had been gone now for about an hour and fifteen minutes. I went back to the house and Ben told me he had called the cops. I decided that maybe the woman needed to do shopping or something so I drove to Walmart and around Tooele looking, When I got back I was sure, and so was Ben that our Jeep had been stolen.
The officer told us if she calls you don't answer if she comes back to call them immediatly because she was at this point going to be arrested for joyriding. At about 10:00 ( she started her "test drive" at 6:30) she text.
"I had to go to Salt Lake. My mom is in the hospital I am bringing her back now, but I'm afraid to drive back.This is the girl who test drove your Jeep.-Tigga "
Ben called the officer and gave him her number. The officer had her take the Jeep straight to the police station. Where Ben met him and searched the car for any missing things or damage.
Everything on the Jeep was fine, except that the registration was missing. The officer asked "Tigga" if she took the registration, she replied...
"I didn't take that, I don't do that shit."
WHAT!? You will commit Grand Theft, but you would NEVER steal something like a registration.
We went home (now 11:30) and got settled when the officer called Ben and told him that "Tigga" had admitted the truth.
She stole the Jeep to go drinking with some buddies in Salt Lake. She is not from Grantsville she was visiting some friends. She was arrested and being charged with joyriding and petty theft for now. The DA may want to charge her with more. She told the oficer she had no intention of returning the Jeep, but her brother told her that if she didn't return the Jeep we may call the police and she could go to jail.
We are saling our jeep for $4,500. I would imagine all of her fines will be equal too or higher then the cost of the Jeep. I think thats ironic.
I'm happy it was returned safely. The GPD did a great job!
Lessons learned
-Don't trust someone by the name of Tigga
-Ride with interested buyers on test drives
-When you think your car was stole... It probably was.
