An elderly California man has been victimized by brazen thieves who made off with his antique car in broad daylight, and he’s blaming the crime on there being “no consequences in this city.”
Oakland car enthusiast Dave Lechthaler, 80, suspects that the thieves followed his bright red 1959 Chevrolet Corvette home from a car show in Pleasanton — about 30 miles away — and broke into his garage.
“They knew how to drive the car because it was a stick and they just drove right out,” he told KTVU after the April 15 incident.
Surveillance footage shows two suspects breaking into Lechthaler’s garage around 7:00 a.m. and making off with his $200,000 antique.
Lechthaler said the theft was like a “stab in the heart.”
After buying the car in 2006, he had restored it to “factory perfect” by rebuilding the engine, reupholstering the interior, and painting the body.
“It hurts because it’s my life,” he told the outlet. “My whole life has been hot rod cars since I was 14 years old.”
Lechthaler went on to share his prediction that the thieves won’t face any justice and he’ll never see his Corvette again.
“There are no consequences in this city. People can steal and rob,” he stated.
He’s now asking the public for tips, saying “I want my car back.”
Data from the Oakland Police Department shows that vehicle thefts have been rising since 2020, with a jump from 8,700 to a whopping 14,700 reported incidents in 2023.
