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Emma Mitchell, Noah Pierman and their son, Kellin, with their automotive that was stolen and concerned in a police chase in Medford. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]
It’s been greater than a month since a Grants Cross man rammed a Medford police cruiser with a stolen automotive, led the cops on a chase via west Medford and fired at officers throughout a virtually eight-hour standoff in a warehouse on Brian Means.
The automotive thief, Daniel Ryan Lee Tiger, 37, already has pleaded responsible, been sentenced to greater than 4 years in jail and is on the Espresso Creek Correctional Facility getting used to his new schedule.
Within the meantime, the house owners of the wheels Tiger stole nonetheless can’t drive their automotive.
The car, a 2016 Mazda CX-9 owned by Emma Mitchell and Noah Pierman of Medford, was stolen from a neighborhood Lithia dealership the place it had been despatched for repairs.
With their brake strains failing, the couple had the car towed to Crater Lake Mazda Sept. 19. Per week later, Mitchell stated she acquired a telephone name from the enterprise asking in the event that they’d picked up the car.
“I assumed, we had it towed as a result of we couldn’t drive it, so NO we didn’t come and get it,” Mitchell stated. “My fiancé was taking my daughter to highschool the day earlier than it was towed, and the brakes went out in the course of an intersection. It wasn’t protected to drive.”
Quick-forward a month to Oct. 27: Mitchell acquired a telephone name from a detective on the scene of the police standoff with Tiger saying police had positioned the household’s automotive — crashed by the person holed up in a warehouse surrounded by police.
Now having been with out a automotive for 2 and a half months, Mitchell stated she, Pierman and their three kids are nonetheless counting on rides from household and pals and utilizing taxis and companies reminiscent of Uber to get to work and to different commitments.
Mitchell and Pierman retrieved the automotive — haggling the tow invoice from $1,500 all the way down to $700 — and have it sitting on the grass at their house in Medford.
Lithia Motors officers say it’s a thriller to them how the automotive acquired from their lot to against the law scene close to Howard Memorial Sports activities Park.
Michelle Watson, company communications supervisor for Lithia, stated data present the automotive was dropped off for service, service was accomplished and {that a} textual content message went out stating the automotive was repaired and prepared for pickup.
“Presently, we’re unable to supply further particulars,” stated Landyn Trammell, basic supervisor for Crater Lake Mazda. “Nevertheless, we sympathize with the shopper and can absolutely cooperate within the investigation.”
Mitchell stated emails to the dealership have gone unanswered, and she or he says she by no means acquired a textual content message stating the automotive had been repaired. In truth, she stated the brakes are “nonetheless failing.”
“That is precisely the way it occurred. A man named Phil known as me and stated, ‘I’m simply checking in with you to see if possibly you already got here to get your automotive. I’m hoping you probably did come to get it.’ I informed him I hadn’t picked it up, and he stated, ‘Oh, that’s bizarre as a result of I noticed it yesterday once I went house, however this morning it’s not there,’” Mitchell recounted.
“After which he informed me to not freak out and that he’d go look across the lot as a result of typically vehicles get moved or misplaced. So clearly, they didn’t find yourself discovering it.”
Watson and Trammell declined to elaborate on the scenario aside from to say the automotive had been picked up after enterprise hours, that the dealership nonetheless had the important thing supplied by the tow truck driver and that the corporate would cooperate with the investigation.
For now, Mitchell, who produced a police report for theft of the automotive and a receipt for it being towed to the store, stated the household continues to be with out transportation and with out the cash to have the automotive’s physique harm — and brakes — repaired after incurring additional bills for getting round.
Including insult to harm, each have missed work and different appointments — penalties of restricted transportation.
“Mainly, the final time we noticed it, we had it towed to be mounted, and now it’s sitting in entrance of our home, with items damaged off of it and utterly undrivable. We get to simply take a look at it day by day, as a reminder, whereas we’re attempting to determine how you can get to work and get our children the place they should go,” stated Mitchell.
“Not solely have we each missed a number of days of labor as a result of we couldn’t discover a journey, however our daughter has missed a number of days of college. … The brakes nonetheless don’t work, and we don’t have any solutions. … It has been a residing nightmare.”
The couple has began a GoFundMe to assist with restore prices and authorized bills, gofundme.com/f/4t4k8-please-help-young-family-in-need?qid=2bfd1c7ec7344d8b56578c3cf58398c6
Attain reporter Buffy Pollock at 541-776-8784 or bpollock@rosebudmedia.com. Comply with her on Twitter @orwritergal.
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