Several vehicles stolen by tow truck in west Columbus, neighbors say

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — Theresa Cavin says she owned a truck, the family truck, for about 15 years.

"Us Texans love our trucks," said Cavin, who's family recently moved to the Columbus area. But, one morning in November, she said she woke up to find it stolen.

"Having to explain to your children like, 'hey this is the truck that I brought you home in from the hospital, and you know it’s gone' and try explaining that to a kid with autism who is used to routine," she said.

Cavin started asking neighbors if they saw anything or had any video, and what she ended up seeing was shocking. She said one neighbor had a video of what appears to show a tow truck taking her car away in the night.

"Oh my god, that broke my heart like to see, we call our truck Betsy, but to see Betsy just taken away like that, oh it was awful, I cried," she said.

Speed forward about 10 months, and unfortunately Cavin says no answers, but, a post in a neighborhood group caught her eye. J.R. McMillan says late last week his car was taken.

"My first thought was that it was definitely stolen," said McMillan, who lives in West Columbus. He said the car was locked, there was no glass left in the road and that he had the only set of keys.

He called Columbus Police and then alerted neighborhood group Westgate Watch. He says tips, like from Theresa Cavin, and video showing a tow truck in the area, started coming in. Just hours later, his car was found by police about a mile away, with some parts missing.

"This could’ve turned into a missing car story, and instead it turned into a found car story," he said.

Their hope now is to raise awareness in their community. "I think it is good for neighborhoods to kind of have that communication," said Cavin.

Both said the vehicles were not being repossessed.

"I wouldn’t have found my car if there wasn’t a group of organized neighbors and if this had happened a year ago my car would be long gone," said McMillan.

Cavin would like to get answers about her truck and would like police to take this as seriously as possible.

ABC6/FOX28 reached out to Columbus Police Monday afternoon and will update the story as information comes in.