Police: Ohio woman paid thief $30 to steal her car from auto body shop

CINCINNATI (WXIX/Grey Information) – A lady in Ohio allegedly paid somebody to steal her automobile from an auto store slightly than paying the complete $3,500 she owed for repairs.

Surveillance video confirmed the employed suspect driver hit an worker with the automobile on their getaway.

Kitu Veal, proprietor of Kitu’s Auto Group in Cincinnati, says 28-year-old Terrella Lewis introduced her automobile in for repairs, however when it got here time to pay, she didn’t have the cash.

The associated fee was additionally topic to rise with out cost as Lewis risked accumulating extra storage charges whereas her automobile languished at Veal’s store.

Veal says he supplied to assist her by shifting the automobile to his secondary location, the place it remained parked whereas she labored issues out.

“I put it on the road proper right here for possibly ten minutes,” Veal mentioned. “Then I went into the facet of my constructing. I’m strolling into the constructing, I hear the alarm go off, just like the chirp of the alarm. So I flip round and noticed a man working to get into her entrance seat.”

Veal says he thought the individual behind the wheel was making an attempt to steal from the automobile or steal the automobile itself.

“Everybody who involves my enterprise, I defend their automobile prefer it’s mine,” mentioned Veal. “It will harm my coronary heart to know that somebody’s property acquired taken whereas it was in my possession.”

However police declare in an affidavit that Lewis gave the suspect a key to her automobile and paid them $30 to steal it and keep away from paying the restore prices.

Surveillance video confirmed Veal jogged to the doorway and stood immediately in entrance of the automobile. He says he informed the individual to get out, however the driver then accelerated into him as he was dragged down Central Avenue.

“It was positively an expertise whereas on the journey,” Veal mentioned. “As soon as he hit the brakes, that’s when the arduous half kicked in. My again nonetheless hurts from it.”

Veal says if he had recognized that he wouldn’t have tried to cease the driving force.

“The one purpose I stood in entrance of this automobile was so he didn’t take your property and put you in a worse place, and also you have been the one who despatched them down right here the entire time,” he mentioned.

The one who hit Veal has not but been recognized.

Lewis is at present being held on the Hamilton County Justice Heart on $10,000 bail for a cost of complicity.

She’s going to seem earlier than a grand jury June 30.

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