‘It’s just really devastating’: Rare classic car stolen from Orangevale body shop
By Orko Manna
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ORANGEVALE, California (KCRA) — A 1928 Ford Model A was stolen from a Sacramento area auto body shop, and now the car owner is asking for the public’s help to find his rare classic car.
Brian Fimbres said he had left his car at California Transmissions of Orangevale for storage until he could bring it back to his home, but Fimbres said thieves stole his car over Memorial Day weekend. A surveillance video shared with KCRA 3 shows two people walking with flashlights early Monday morning in the back lot of the shop, and the lights can be seen shining on the Model A which was parked in the corner.
“It’s just really a shock to the whole family,” Fimbres said. “It’s a pretty rare car. Me and my kids have been working on getting it running and hopefully someday be able to drive around, cruise around in it, go to the drive-ins.”
Fimbres said the car was not operational, so there are a lot of questions about how exactly the thieves stole it. He said it is worth around $8,000, but for him, the real cost is the sentimental value the vintage vehicle has to his family.
“To lose this right now, it’s just really devastating,” Fimbres said. “It’s really something that you don’t really expect to happen.”
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office confirmed with KCRA 3 that they are investigating the car theft. Detectives are also looking into more thefts that occurred at California Transmissions of Orangevale between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning. Joe Cava, owner of California Transmissions of Orangevale said several pieces of his equipment were stolen.
“They took coolers for my shop, shop heater, transmission jack and a few other tools totaling up to between $6,000-$10,000,” Cava said. “I feel violated if I’m being truthfully honest.”
The surveillance video shows people carrying and wheeling out different items in the early morning hours on Monday. More footage from Monday afternoon shows someone stealing items from inside the car of one of Cava’s customers. Cava said Fimbres is a good friend, so he let him store his Model A in the back of the shop, but no work was being done on it.
“To find out that somebody’s over here shopping the back of my shop and stealing stuff out of here, including a vehicle that is very dear to this gentleman, is disconcerting,” Fimbres said.
Cava told KCRA 3 that he believes the thieves came through a back fence that they somehow lifted, despite the fence being locked shut. There is an alleyway on the other side, and Fimbres said he thinks the people who stole his equipment and Fimbres’ car maybe had a truck or trailer to load the stolen items in.
“The only way that they could have gotten that Model A out of this shop is to either pick it up to maneuver it through that alley, pick it up again to pivot it into the driveway because it doesn’t run and its turn radius is not that good. That’s the only way they could have gotten it out,” Fimbres said. “It was absolutely calculated, in my opinion. I don’t know if somebody saw it on the road, or maybe saw it when I had it out front before I loaded it up into the back.”
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said their property crimes detectives are still investigating the thefts. But as of Wednesday night, no arrests were made. If you know anything, you are asked to call 916-875-5388.
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