Stolen car returned to owner with new paint job
ORLANDO, Fla. - A month after a car was stolen after it was parked by valet at AdventHealth, it has been found. It’s now in such bad condition, the owner can’t even drive it.
“I’m like, 'Who stole the car? The devil?' That’s what it looks like to me. It just looks evil,” said car theft victim Jessica Jackson.
She shared these photographs of her “devil car in red” with FOX 35, sent to her by investigators. Her car was stolen last month and found this week with its bumper gone, dashboard ripped out, spray-painted and undrivable.
“It’s a little bit of closure but not much because of how they found it and because of how draining this whole process has been,” said Jackson, who lives in Orlando.
Jackson valeted the car at AdventHealth in Downtown Orlando last month when she rushed her son there for an ear infection. She later left and found that her car was gone. According to a police report, a patient got into the valet key cabinet and stole a set of keys when the valets were getting other cars. Those keys just so-happened to belong to Jackson.
Orlando Police this week tracked the car to Samual Eason, who was pulled over and handcuffed by officers in Winter Garden on Tuesday.
“The way they did it is just like, you got to be kidding me! You guys did all of this?”
According to the report, Eason first told officers he was a mechanic fixing up the car but eventually confessed to knowing it was stolen, saying he was trying to get the vehicle away from his house. Police are still looking for another suspect.
“After this experience, nobody’s valet parking our car ever again,” said Jackson.
After FOX 35 reached out to the hospital and ABM Parking, who handles the hospital valet, Jackson was provided a rental car, a new car seat, and stroller and offers to cover her hospital bill.
“As soon as I contacted you, that’s when my phone started ringing. I started getting calls from people I felt like should have been calling me from the beginning. You helped, you definitely helped!” Jackson said.
ABM Parking sent FOX 35 this statement, which read:
"We always strive to provide the best possible service for our clients and their customers. Unfortunately, sometimes there are circumstances beyond our control. We actively worked with Ms. Jackson to reach an agreeable resolution, and have taken measures to help prevent a similar situation from happening in the future."
AdventHealth sent FOX 35 this statement, which read:
“We have apologized to Ms. Jackson and have worked closely with her and our contracted valet partners to ensure she is provided a rental car and replacement of items inside her vehicle. We are also working on installing an improved locking system so this type of incident does not happen again.”
Jackson said her insurance company has possession of her car now. She hopes someone will pay for a new car for her and her family.