When people in Indianapolis choose mechanics to repair their cars, the one quality they place above all others is trust. “I use him as a mechanic because I know I can trust him” is a familiar refrain. Unfortunately for a woman on the east side of town, her trust of a mechanic turned into regret – and possible criminal charges against the trusted mechanic.
The woman took the car that she had given to her daughter to a repair shop on the East Side. She had used the shop in the past and felt that it could be trusted. She dropped off the car and assumed that it would be ready in a few days. When those days became a month without the car, the woman stopped by the repair shop for a first hand report on the car. She found that all of the auto repair equipment had been removed from the shop and that the shop was locked up. The car was nowhere in sight.
The woman then complained to a reporter for a local TV station. The reporter managed to reach the owner of the repair shop by telephone, and he said that repairs were delayed because he found unexpected problems. Then, he said that he was forced to vacate the premises because he had a dispute with the landlord. He promised the reporter that the car would be ready in a day. When the woman stopped by the shop on the appointed day, she says that the car was in pieces and could not be moved. She then reported the car to the police as having been stolen.
The owner of the repair shop may be liable for auto theft, fraud or other charges relating to his failure to return the car. A capable criminal defense lawyer may be necessary to untangle the facts and develop a theory of defense that will save the shop owner from any criminal liability.
Source: RTV6, “Woman says Indianapolis mechanic took her car for repairs, then disappeared,” Graham Hunter, Dec. 13, 2017
