MY TRUCK WAS STOLEN!! BUT I GOT IT BACK!!!

So I have came across this site before just looking around but never thought to much of it until my truck was stolen, vandalized, and violated and then I found out I was getting it back! It is a crazy story and I thought I would share it here. For this is the reason, why and how I am on this site now.

Before I found out I was getting it, my 2006 TRD SR Double Cab 4X4 Sport 73,000M Tacoma, back, I already had my insurance check that I hadn't received yet spent, and I hate to admit it on here but in my mind I spent it on a Tundra! Sorry fellas. So here is the Long version.

My family and I live in California. Transplants from Washington State we were headed back up North to visit our family in Walla Walla (Yes, Walla Walla, WA) for two weeks. We're a newly wedded couple, with kids and doing my homework found what I thought was a fair priced 2 bedroom apartment on the harbor. The worst part, no garage. My Tacoma's new home was under a car port. Under the car port we also put several other items in a convenient space. A washer and dryer, a small artificial Christmas tree and my wife's collection of vintage National Geographic Magazines! (I'm serious! Over 200 issues, heavy as could be!) The day before we left on vacation we received a notice that this washer and dryer and a hundred pounds of NATGEO was a fire hazard and it had to be removed immediately otherwise it would be towed! With only a few hours of daylight left and leaving early the next morning the only logical place to put it was, BINGO!! In the back of my Tacoma! A stroke of brilliance on my part and the Taco fit the bill and kindly obliged. The small bed fit everything perfect and, BAM, no fire hazard!

So we take our Sequoia(Toyota Fam!) to the airport. My wife's cousin drives us to LAX, takes it back to our house, gets in her car and goes home. Comes back to get us 14 days later in the Sequoia again and we pull into the apartment complex at around 11:00pm. I have been missing my truck, so I am waiting to drive by it and give her a smile, we're driving, it's almost coming into view, just around the corner...AND NO TACOMA!!! I am pissed, ranting and raving my initial thought was that the apartment complex didn't find my quick fix with the washer and dryer amusing and towed it anyways and I was prepared to give them a piece of my mind in the morning! I'm carrying on all the way up the walk in between the apartment buildings and my wife and I notice our lights are on inside our house!! The conversation went something like this, "Did you leave the lights on?" "No, did you?" At that point we knew we were robbed and after some quick deduction of reasoning it wasn't hard to conclude that as the burglar was leaving our house, my keys were hanging conveniently on the hook next to the door and my Tacoma became the get away vehicle.

So, the house is trashed. Where missing every electronic in the house. From TVs and computers to Bra's and guns! Yes! Bras!! This low life raided my wife's underwear drawer!! We call the cops and file the complaint. Collect every know serial number for our items and give them to the police. The next morning we notify our insurance.

A week later Ventura PD is serving a search warrant on this guy for identity theft. When they busted in and found no one was home they figured they would run a few serial numbers. BINGO again! Every number they ran was coming back stolen with my name on it. I get a call from a Detective from the PD, they have found our stuff! They then tell us to come to this location, which I thought was going to be a police warehouse of stolen goods, I was wrong. It was the crime scene!!! What a rush of emotions. Nothing can prepare you for this. Seeing your hard earned stuff in some assholes house. Everything was hooked up plugged into wall. My wife's purse was there with his girl friends things in it. My step daughters jewelry box displayed neatly on his mothers dresser. It was unreal. They let us scour their house for our stolen goods and thats was we did. They cracked a safe while we were there and asked if anything belong to us. I wish I could tell you that I said yes and took it all, I wish I could say while I was going through his house I stood on his bed and shit on his pillow, but I didn't. I can't say I would do it the same if I had a second chance!! We're God fearing, good faith people who are honest and care about our friends and neighbors. I had to keep telling myself what if that belongs to someone else they robbed. It wouldn't make me much better.

SO, where is the TRUCK!? It wasn't there!!! Or so we thought! After telling the guys back at work this story and what haad happened a friend of mine was driving out near that location and decided to drive into the neighbor hood (which was a trailer park). Not know where or which place it was he drove to the end of the road to the dead end and turned around and that when he seen a truck that looked awefully similar to mine. He snapped a shot of the lisence palte number and sent it to me, "Is this you liscense plate number?" I was flabbergasted, "Where the hell are you!!?" He tells me he was at the trailer park that I had told him about. If I had only drove to the back of that trailer park I would have found it a few days earlier if I had kept my mouth shut for another day I would have had a check in the mail for $23,000! Like I said earlier, I had plans for the Tundra. Already made up my mind and the day they settled the deal my friend stumbled upon my old flame.

My old flame was stolen and used and left me, I was devastated!! I had planned to never see her again! I get to that trailer park once again and drive part that same house I recovered my things and there it is sitting there. Abandoned, abused and neglected. I don't touch anything and wait for the Sheriff to show up. It is killing my to wait to see inside while the sheriff does his paper work. I peer through the windows but through the thick layer of film I can't see much at all, but I can see, she wasn't like I left her. Passerby's are taking interest, curious to see what's going on knowing there had been this mysterious truck parked here for sometime without moving. One man even stops and say, "yeah, it was the guy from that house driving it." and points to the yellow trailer I had gone through for the rest of our stuff a few days before! Finally I take my spare key and unlock the doors. It keep telling myself it could have been worse! They stole everything in the truck, registration, all paperwork (this guys into identity theft). My glove compartment was torn out, overhead temperature gauge completely wrecked, completely removed the center where the cup holders are. After a good wash it was obvious there where a few good dings in it too. He stole my mud flaps and my Toyota All Weather mats that apparently I just found out yesterday that Toyota has discontinued!! I loved those mats!

So this is what brings me here. Working with Toyota and my insurance Adjuster I was able to fix my truck nto about 90% at a grueling pace due to some unfortunate events on the part of Toyota. They have finally been working FOR me rather then making me an honorary employee as middle man and dot connector! I was so close to giving her up. I feel ashamed! I want to A) Make it up to her and B) Give my truck some what of a over haul. I got on this site to figure out what I want to do by getting advice and ideas and to document this transformation!

If you made it this far in the reading thank you for sticking it out and I hope you enjoyed it. What happened was unfortunate but over all it has been a life learning experience. My name is Chris. I am 30. Married with 2 girls. Thanks Again!

 

hey man, welcome! shitty story, but glad it all worked out! how does that work with the insuance money, did you already cash the check, then have to buy your truck back if you wanted it? or did you get the check, then decide not to cash it, and take your truck back?

 

They were practically licking the stamp to put on the check and mail it out when I found it! They had already told me before hand though, once they pay me there would be no chance I could buy my truck back!! If it was recover at that point it would become theres!

 

you can always buy it back. usually for alot less than you owed on it. idk man, i dont think i wouldve taken it back to be honest. I wouldve told them to send the check, keep the truck, and bought something a little newer that wasnt rape by a thief.

 

Wow I just read it all, why idk but wow.
Welcome btw lol

 

Haha well thanks for reading Psychobilly! Mike, originally that is all I wanted. it sat in front of my house for the weekend before I could take it into the shop. I didnt even want to look at it. I really did feel like it was done dirty! I have had that thing since it was new, I put every mile on it but 7. I had to take it back!