Do you believe in Karma
Let me tell you all a little story.
Early in 2008 around 11:30pm my wife and I decided we were going to go out for cigarettes. We walked down stairs and outside like any other day ready to get in our beat up piece of junk Jeep.
We looked at eachother….without a word said turned and went back upstairs. Still in utter silence I scratched my head and headed back downstairs and she followed. I looked up and down the street. No Jeep. I looked at my wife and in a very calm manner said “they stole my jeep”
This is where it gets fun.
We lived in Columbia Pa at the time so we called our local police department (we still needed smokes so we knew it would be ahwile before police got there so we walked and got some) . Finally the police showed up and took a report. Seeming very unconcerned (admittedly I dont know the police procedure for stolen vehicles except what i see on tv) He told us ok I will take the back to the station and Enter it into the computer and IF they get pulled over we will get it back. There was no getting on the radio describing the vehicle incase it was just recently taken and still in the area or anything. And he leaves.
About a week to 1 1/2 weeks go by and my wife goes to work in to work on a Saturday morning and one of her Co-Workers told her they swear they saw my Jeep by a local shopping center the night before. I immediately tell her to come get me because I was going to go in that general area and try to see if I saw it or not. While waiting for her I called my friend and (keep in mind I have a warped sense of humor) and told him what was going on and I was going to buy a baseball bat and go hunting for my jeep. There was a very long pause on the phone that ended with a sigh and the words “get two”
My friend finally arrives we go to Kmart and get two small aluminum baseball bats (easy to handle) and devise a plan. Making light of the situation (we never thought we would find the jeep) we decided no headshots because we are not trying to kill anyone, and no hitting anyone in the back because we are not trying to paralyze anyone.
Arriving into Lancaster the first street covered was Vine Street because someone had said they saw a jeep like ours on that street but was sure it was not ours. So we cover the whole street of and dont see even 1 Jeep. So our next stop was the mall where they thought they saw our jeep. So it was time to circle around and go there.
The weather was just plain rainy and gloomy. We were sitting at a traffic light and as I looked in my rear view mirror a red Jeep pulled up behind us. I looked at my friend and said “I keep waiting to see my jeep come pulling up behind us” his response was “yea wouldnt that be something” About that time the light changed and we started across the intersection and out of the corner of my eye I spot a jeep, same color as mine pulling out of a parking lot. Then I noticed it was missing the same piece of the bumber as mine was, then I saw the primer spot on the site and with what emotion I couldnt even begin to say shrieked “thats my jeep” We swerved and tried to block him in from getting out of the parking lot but, in my excitement I forgot to put the car in park and it drifted forward while I was jumping out and hit a parked car. I get out try grab my bat which was not cooporating and was stuck between the seats. While this comedy show was going on god knows what was going through this kids mind but he knew enough to get going as fast as possible so I went out around me and sped off. The whole time I was staring him dead in the face. I finally got the bat out and gave it a good hurl right at the drivers side window and his face (i missed of course). I hopped back in my car hit reverse and back right into a tow truck coming up behind me, and took off in the immortal words of Rosco P. Coltrane (and if you dont know who he is you are a communist) we were in hot pursuit. He headed down a one way alley (the wrong way) with me following. He got to a stop sign jammed my jeep into reverse and like cockroaches when the lights are turned on like 4-5 people came flying out of my jeep running in all directions. Meanwhile my Jeep came back and smacked into my car which was how the police found them when they got there both still in in gear. The tow truck followed us down the alley way as well.
I jumped out, my friend jumped out, I chased in one direction and he in another. He was smart enough to know he was never going to catch them and turn back. When he got back to the vehicles the tow truck driver asked what was going on and when my friend explained, the tow truck driver just left. I on the other hand have never been known to much for my common sense kept chasing. half way across lancaster city. Finally I turned back as well.
When I got back to the vehicle coughing and hacking (I smoke) the police were there and thoroughly confused. They asked what was going on and I explained the whole situation to them. They asked me if I knew they guy and I said no. Both vehicles were still in gear as they did not want to touch them being part of a crime scene. The one officer did look in the jeep and note the steering column was torn off.
All in all these officers handled this well with a few chuckles along the way becuase this was just one of those situations that was quite frankly half funny. I even asked the one officer how often it is someone finds, chases down and recovers their own vehicle and he said it doesnt.
The officers called it in and said they recovered the stolen vehicle and the owner (me) was there. Columbia Borough where it was stolen from said release it to the owner. This confused the officers. They called 2 more times on their radio saying “noone is going to come process this vehicle?” And both times same thing…release it to the owner. They then used a cell phone and got the same response.
While the cops were doing their part I called my wife and told her I recovered the jeep. Of course when I told her I played bumper cars with her car her only response was “is there anything left of my car”
The cops finally said I had to take the car back to columbia (again they were still confused by this as well). I told the Officer I had to go out to the main street and get my bat that I threw. He said he would have done the same thing. I got in the Jeep and found a cell phone…I immediately showed it to the Lancaster City Police officers and they said to turn it into Columbia Police
I went back to my wifes work to drop off her car to her and inspected the jeep more closely at that point. The guy who stole it cleaned it up and even reprimered the rust spot on the side. We also found not only the cell phone in there but a cereal bowl, a Burger King work uniform, and an umbrella.
Using the cell phone we were able to find his home number and called and he was not there. We also found his work number and called there. We spoke to the manager and I descibed the guy that I had seen. She knew exactly who I was talking about and invited me in to speak with her.
By this time my wife was done working so her, my friend and myself went to Burger King and sat down with the manager. She had the kids file with her and when she opened it up his copy of his license was there and sure enough it was him. Also on there was his home address which we took mental note of. She explained he did not call or show up for work that day and even his girlfriend had called for him thinking he was at work. At that point we knew for sure who had stolen our Jeep and we called the police to come to Burger King. 2 hrs later still no police and I was already mad, and very impatient, I made an excuse and my friend and I left while my wife waited at Burger King for the police.
My friend and I went to the kids house and knocked on the door. At that point I was prepared for anything. The people answered the door and I asked for him. He was not home. I explained who I was and told them I tried to cave his face in with a baseball bat earlier in the day. They invited me in and told them what was going on. They said he was acting funny that day. They allowed me into his room to see if any of the items from my vehicle were in there and they were not. They knew where he was but in my state of mind they felt better going to the police with me and telling them where he was.
So being only a few blocks away one of the men of the house, my friend and I set out and walked to the police station (I called my wife by this point and still no police showed up at Burger King). We got there and explained the situation to the officers there. The officer we explained it to would tell every officer that walked by what was going on and always throw in “and this guy did his own detective work” in a very sarcastic manner. It was like they did not know what to do next. The guy from the house told the Officer he did not know the address off the top of his head but could take them there. That was not needed apparently as the Officer told him just to tell the kid to come to the Station to be questioned when they saw him.
Extremely mad over what just transpired at the station and the lack of concern over the situation we headed back to the mans house where my car was still parked. As we got there the kid came walking around the corner. The man told him he needed to go to the police station. Personally I wanted to beat the kid into the ground right there and then. The kid kept saying whats this about whats this about. I told him point blank its about my jeep he stole and he knows who I am because I was the one who tried to cave his head in with a baseball bat earlier. He then went on to say he was at work all day. I explained to him we had already been to his work (when he was supposed to be there) and spoke with his manager who told us he no showed, no called that day. I explained I will let the police handle the rest of it. I shook the mans hand and he said if anything else he can do let him know (he also said the kid was going to have to find a new place to live.)
The kid went to the police station to be questioned. He told them he was at work all day. That was good enough for them. I called later to check and thats exactly what I was told. They never even bothered to check on his work. I had cell phone, work uniform, verification from his work he wasnt there, I was able to indentify him, and yet he said he was at work and they say ok, and let him walk.
So almost a year passes and I have never forgotten about that. and on the evening of Jan. 21st, 2009 somewhere between 10pm-11pm I was in bed sleeping and my wife wakes me frantically saying “honey honey honey”. I thought the house was on fire. I woke up and as soon as my eyes open I see this kids face on TV. Ovet Ramos. He had been picked up the sunday prior on a bench warrant for failure to appear in court due to receiveing stolen property in connection with a stolen vehicle. He claimed to have fell off his bunk so the prison officials took him to the hospital for an MRI. It was then in shackles and hand cuffs that Ovet escaped custody from the 4th floor.
Two days later he was caught. He had fresh clothing (obviously someone was aiding him) and was walking the city streets like he had not a care in the world. Now from something he would have probably gotten probation from he is facing escape charges which will probably be years added on. They are also looking to charge him with several other vehicle thefts throughout 2008.
So although he got away with one with my Jeep, his time has come. Another view of that would be had the Columbia Police Department done its job he may have been in prison already and not had the opportunity to steal other peoples vehicles. So yes this kid is at fault and yes he should do his time. But so are the Columbia Police Department for being so incompetent they couldnt follow up on one lead that was handed to them on a silver platter.
So again, Do you believe in Karma? If not maybe this story will change your mind. Because Karma came back and gave this 20 year old kid a swift kick in the ass.
You can read more about Ovet Ramos and his escape and charges at the following links.
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