MY Wife & I Are CrimeStoppers (1 Viewer)

[Brian Kleinke]

Nice to see when crooks get caught
That's too bad that you're going to have to run around to get your van back :frowning: Then again insurance companies are not around to make our lives easier
Brian

 

[Frank Zimkas]

Your right about the headaches associated with getting the van back, but If I can get it at a REALLY good price I think it will be worth a couple of asprin.

I'm supposed to be getting a call from the detective handling the investigation regarding the disposition of the van and what they have turned up regarding the few items that were in the van when it was stolen. I know that the police and district attorneys office have more important matters to attend to, but I sure would like to get this resolved in short order.

 

[KyleS]

Excellent to hear. Its always good to see some idiot get what they deserve. Make sure that you go to court just to see them sentence his ass.
Great Job
KyleS

 

[Frank Zimkas]

The detective handling the case called me today and said that van should be released to the insurance company very soon.
I asked about getting to see the trial if there is one... his comment was basically this...You have to be there...it was your van that was stolen so you'll have to testify if the DA wants you to. Well slap my butt and call me Judy! I get to got to court!
I also found out that the guy, lets just call him DIRTBAG from now on, will have to pay restitution(spelling?). Maybe Dirtbag will end up having to pay the cost of re-aquiring said vee-hicle. Wouldn't that be SWEET!

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

When they arrested him, I told the police to put him in cell with a guy Bubba who had not seen a women for a lot of years!!

http://www.spr.org

 

[Frank Zimkas]

 

[Bill Buklis]

Cool story.

You have to be there...it was your van that was stolen so you'll have to testify if the DA wants you to.

Unfortunately this may mean that you can't attend the trial. Witnesses are often (if not always) excluded from attending so that their testimony isn't tainted by the ongoing trial.

 

[MickeS]

Great story with a happy ending.
Bill, I think witnesses are even legally prohibited from attending the trial. But Frank wouldn't be the witness, would he? Wouldn't he be the plaintiff? I don't know enough about criminal justice to know. If he's a plaintiff, can he also be a witness?
/Mike

 

[ChrisMatson]

I think that there is no plaintiff in a CRIMINAL trial. I guess you could call the prosecuting jurisdiction the plantiff.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Frank: Do you have any idea how long the odds would be on finding your stolen van that way? What's the population of your town? This is amazing. JB

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Yeah no "plaintiff" in a criminal trial. It's going to be "State of Colorado v. Strobel".

 

[Frank Zimkas]

Jack,
The population of Colorado Springs, Colorado is Approx. 650,000! I was amazed at finding my own van to say the least, especially 2 months after it was stolen.
Regarding being able to sit through the trial...I'm the Victim...and a Witness....I'm Superman:b
Actually my wife is the hero, she saw it first

 

[Rachael B]

Frank, one of my ex boyfriends stole his own car back. It was an early 60's car, it's so long ago I forget the make but it was a convertible. This was back in the 70's... Anyway, the car had been missing for 6 months. We were on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville walking to the Aquatic Center to go swimming. Looking at a parked car on the other side of the street, I said, Rick that looks just like your old car except it's blue (his car was red).
So we crossed the street and looked at it and the shitty blue paint job wasn't completely covering the red paint. It took about 2 seconds for Rick to exclaim that it was his car! This car was one of the last vehicles that you could start without the key. I think, it's so long ago it's hazy, that if you had the key you could lock the ignition...? Well, we got in the car and started it without the key and took it home.
We didn't bother to inform the police, although he had reported the car stolen 6 months previously. He didn't have insurance on the car so we didn't have to inform them. It sure was fun and exciting stealing the car back!
Strange things happen! Frank, maybe you should join the hunt for Bin Laden or Eric Rudolph? Best wishes!

 

[Frank Zimkas]

Rachel,
That's Beautiful I sure wish that I could have found mine the same way and been able to drive it away, but am still happy that "Dirtbag" was caught and will be leaving society for awhile.
BTW, what ever happened to the car?

 

[Rachael B]

Rick sold his repacement car and kept the now blue convertiable. He also got in the habit of locking up the ignition. When we broke up he was stille driving it. Finding your own stolen car in a city is like finding a needle in a haystack. But, merde happens! Best wishes!

 

[Bill Buklis]

It's always plaintiff vs. defendent in a court case (whether civil or criminal). The "plaintiff" in a criminal case is always the governmental organization that brought the case to trial. Sometimes it's loosely referred to as "the people". In your case it'll either be Colorado (the state) or Colorado Springs. Most likely it will be "The people of Colorado Springs vs Mr. Car Thief".