Source: Siede Preis / Getty
According to Fox 28, thieves stole a mother’s minivan while she worked at a Northeast Side fast food restaurant Friday morning.
Tricia Urban said two guys asked her for some “cheap food” at the Steak & Shake at 5488 Cleveland Avenue, but didn’t buy anything.
A short-time later a co-worker ran into the restaurant warning her the men were stealing Urban’s Honda Odyssey. “She said [a man] was beeping the keys, trying to see which car would go off, and my car went off,” Urban said.
The thieve struck another co-worker’s pickup during their getaway, she said. Urban believes the men took the keys from her coat, which hanging near a chair near a counter.
“Who the hell steals something at 4:30 in the morning?” Urban asked. “I’m a mother of three. I’d rather be at home with my kids. Now I’m out here dealing with stuff people have no business doing.”
Responding police officers spotted the van nearby, but the driver sped away. Officers didn’t chase the vehicle, officials said, but they searched the area where the van appeared to be headed.
Police located the abandoned van in driveway at 3861 Blueberry Hollow Road. Kimberly Harris said she had no idea why the driver ditched the van in her driveway.
“I was just awakened by police,” Harris said. “I don’t know what to think. It was pretty frightening.” The Columbus Police helicopter responded and a canine was used to search the area.
More than an hour later, officers took a man into custody, but haven’t said whether he’s suspected of being the driver or the passenger.
No charges have been filed. The thieves took Urban’s keys from the van. She planned to have a friend help tow the vehicle home.
