In a bizarre turn of events, a car belonging to a person with a Haltom City High School student ID card was stolen after a local locksmith was called to unlock the vehicle.
An all-black Dodge Hellcat was stolen out of a Haltom City High School parking lot, according to the Haltom City Police Department.
The suspected car thief contacted a local locksmith, All Auto Tech, to get the vehicle’s door unlocked.
The owner of the car, Jason Reddick, said he was letting his son borrow the car for the day, speaking in an interview with NBC 5 DFW.
“It’s not enough anymore to just lock your car and make sure it’s locked. You probably need a wheel lock. Probably more than one GPS device,” said Reddick.
Edgar Echemendia owns all Auto Tech and told NBC 5 DFW that the “student” showed him his identification.
“When I arrived at the place, the guy showed me the ID from the school,” said Echemendia.
However, Echemendia did not ask for further identification.
Echemendia and the suspect exchanged text messages, and he quoted the suspect $200 to open the vehicle, according to NBC 5.
Echemendia was never paid.
The suspect took off in the vehicle leaving Echemendia without payment.
Reddick explained to NBC 5 that his son’s athletic gear was in the car.
“Everything my son owned for baseball was in that car’s trunk,” said Reddick. “Everything I bought him over the years.”
Reddick says he still wants accountability from both Echemendia and the suspect for what happened.
He filed a formal complaint with the Texas Locksmith Association.
Crime in the DFW Metroplex continues to skyrocket, and in Dallas, as the Dallas Police Department battles personnel shortages, crime increases.
As of Year to Date, arrests for property crime in Dallas have seen a 13% increase, according to statistics from the Dallas Police Department.
