LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Callous car thieves stole a vehicle then started sending ransom texts to the owner.
The owner's name is Steven and would feel safer if we didn't use his last name.
He thinks the crooks found a medical form in his glove compartment, and used the info to try to extort him.
"I feel kind of violated."
Steven was trying to make a quick run to the liquor store near Flamingo and Paradise Friday night. That quick stop would turn into a long ordeal because when he came back out his car was gone!
"I was so tired. I kept looking for a minute. Did I park somewhere else? I went back and forth a few times and you know what it's gone."
Exhausted, he says he wasn't sure if he left his key in the car or if he dropped it while he was walking in. So he called police, filed a report and went home.
Then he started getting suspicious calls and messages from a California number.
"They said, 'Do you want it back?' I said yes of course and next thing I know they're asking me for money."
He claims he told police about that but didn't feel like the case was going anywhere.
The police are busy responding to other emergencies, more pressing emergencies, and possibly life threatening situations, which sure is true sometimes."
So he played detective, rented a car and started looking around.
Amazingly, he struck gold and spotted his car at an apartment complex about a mile away from where it was stolen.
He called police again.
"The police were very nice and very professional. I have absolutely no complaints about the officers that responded."
But he thinks they should've fingerprinted the car before releasing it to him. Apparently, that didn't happen.
"I just felt that in this particular case it was a golden opportunity for them to go and catch a couple of what seemed to be young criminals possibly graduating to more serious crimes."
We reached out to metro, and they're looking into it. So is Steven.
"Perhaps someone from that unit recognizes the kids driving in that car call you or report them so that police can pay them a visit and perhaps take them in for questioning."
Steven says the thieves also took his prescription glasses and other valuable items including paperwork that contains his medical information. He's also concerned about medical ID theft.
