An Oakland man was left heartbroken after his rare vintage Corvette was stolen from his garage just before his 80th birthday.
Dave Lechthaler, 80, described how a mob of thieves broke into his home on April 15 before making off with his $200,000 1959 Corvette, which has been his pride and joy for the past 18 years.
Surveillance footage captured the brazen act, showing two suspects breaking into the garage, before fleeing in the Corvette within minutes.
“It’s like a stab in the heart,” he told the Fox affiliate. KTVU.
Now he blames city leaders for what he perceives as a lack of accountability to criminals.
Dave Lechthaler, 80, was overcome with sadness when a mob of thieves broke into his home on April 15, before leaving with his prized possession, a 1959 Corvette, which has been his pride and joy for the past few years. 18 years.
Lechthaler said he put his heart and soul into the 200K convertible, devoting countless hours to its maintenance and upkeep. He also carefully rebuilt the engine, gave the car a new coat of paint, and carefully reupholstered it.
Surveillance footage captured the brazen act, showing two suspects breaking into the garage, before fleeing in the Corvette within minutes.
‘There are no consequences in this city. People can steal and steal,” Lechthaler told KTVU.
Lechthaler has a great passion for cars and his home is now adorned with photographs from his racing days.
“It hurts me because my life, my entire life, has been hot rod cars since I was 14 years old,” he explained.
Lechthaler said he put his heart and soul into the convertible, devoting countless hours to its maintenance and upkeep.
He also carefully rebuilt the engine, gave the car a new coat of paint, and reupholstered it.
Lechthaler believes he was followed from a car show in Pleasanton, where his prized possession caught the attention of thieves.
Lechthaler now blames city leaders for what he perceives as a lack of accountability toward criminals.
Lechthaler believes he was followed from a car show in Pleasanton, where his prized possession may have caught the attention of thieves.
Although the Corvette is insured, the void left by its absence is irreplaceable for Lechthaler
As long as the Corvette is insured, the loss is irreparable for Lechthaler.
His message to the perpetrators is simple: “I want my car back.”
January figures show that one in thirty Oakland residents had their car stolen last year – a total of 15,000 vehicles.
This is a 45 percent increase in just 12 months and the highest figure in 15 years.
However, less than five percent of those car theft cases lead to an arrest, and the understaffed and underfunded California City Police Department is worried about dealing with a 21 percent increase. in violent crimes.
Last year alone, nearly 15,000 cars were reported stolen in Oakland, a staggering 45 percent increase from 2022, marking the highest number in at least 15 years (Pictured: An accident scene after that a driver was chased by thieves, causing his car to overturn on top)
Masked Bandits Brazenly Raid Cars in Downtown Oakland in Daylight
Additionally, there are only two police officers assigned to combat car theft.
Mary Remington’s 2018 Honda Fit, Milan Sanders’ 2019 Kia Sorento and Emily Frazier’s 2020 Kia Forte were ruthlessly stolen, they told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The city’s mayor and district attorney are both avowed progressives who have said police accountability and racial equity are a priority.
But fed up locals have pleaded with them to make the Bay Area city safer.
In October, even Oakland District Attorney Pamela Price had her work laptop stolen during a carjacking outside a family justice center in broad daylight.
The city’s mayor and district attorney are both avowed progressives who have said police accountability and racial equity are a priority, but fed up locals have pleaded with them to make the Bay Area city more safe. Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (pictured)
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (pictured)
This comes as the campaign to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, also known as Save Alameda for Everyone (SAFE), intensifies. The withdrawal effort began in 2023.
The epicenter of this increase is in Uptown and North Oakland, which witnessed a staggering 69 percent increase in car thefts, according to Police Department and state data.
La Crónica revealed several reasons that experts give to explain the growing crisis that is plaguing the city.
A major factor is the lack of basic anti-theft technology in popular Kia and Hyundai models, compounded by a viral social media challenge encouraging thieves to target these specific cars, according to the Chronicle.
Additionally, scarce police resources are reportedly being directed toward higher priority crimes.
