A Montrealer went through hell during the month of March, when he had his car stolen twice in just three weeks. And just Sunday, his rental car almost suffered the same fate.
• Read also: Vehicle thefts: the OPP catches 34 suspects in Montreal
• Read also: Scourge of car theft: three accused escape due to legal delays
• Read also: The scourge of car theft has increased the bill by more than $100 on average for Quebecers
“I’m so stressed. I don’t know what to do anymore, I don’t know where to turn… It doesn’t make any sense!”, testified Daniel Bouchard, in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.
The first time, Daniel Bouchard’s 2021 Toyota Highlander was parked on Boulevard des Galeries d’Anjou. The thieves allegedly stole the vehicle in question during rush hour, between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. “When I came to get my car, he had disappeared!” he said.
Mr. Bouchard rushed to contact the TAG tracking system, which confirmed to him, a few hours later, that his car was at the corner of Chabanel and Crémazie, in Montreal. “They had broken the windows and torn off the roof!”, he commented.
A visit to the garage later, the amount would have amounted to $11,900 for repairs to Mr. Bouchard’s car, he confided. A few days later, his car was stolen again, this time at the corner of Saint-Denis and Beaubien streets in Montreal.
He once again contacted TAG and the police, who allegedly accompanied him to collect his stolen vehicle. “My car was hidden in some bushes, in the back of an alley… More damage and problems… I had to return it to the garage! It’s going to cost me a fortune!” said Mr. Bouchard.
Although he can change cars, Mr. Bouchard confides that there are two and a half years left on his rental contract, which could “penalize” him. “I do not have the means. I’m keeping the car, but it’s not ideal. I’m stressed!” he added.
Daniel Bouchard posted a video on his Facebook on Monday, from his surveillance cameras, concerning another attempted theft of his rental vehicle on Sunday evening. “Around 3 a.m., I hear a noise, I get up and I panic. I look out the window, someone was in my car.”
On the video, we see a man unlock the vehicle’s doors before sitting down and trying to back out, in vain. “He closes the door quietly and leaves… 12 minutes later he comes back and unlocks the doors. It has a button, it’s as if it had the keys!” said Mr. Bouchard. Fortunately, Mr. Bouchard started the alarm system, which scared the thief away. “I was up all night. I don’t know where to turn… It’s terrible! I have no follow-up from the police,” he testified.
Remember that car theft is a real scourge across the country, with more than 90,000 vehicles stolen last year. In March, Ontario Provincial Police arrested 34 suspects during their historic operation in Montreal to catch these young car thieves.
Called for comment, Montreal police refused to confirm whether or not they have opened an investigation in connection with this event.