Victim offers $1K reward after man poses as buyer, steals car

HOUSTON – A local man is offering a $1,000 cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of an accused thief who stole his car.

“He messed with the wrong guy this time,” Ali said. Ali didn't want to use his full name in this story.

The man, according to Ali, responded to an ad he posted on Facebook and Craigslist, claiming to be interested in buying his black Lexus GS 350 and came to his workplace on Monday to look at it.

Ali works at a gas station on Barker Cypress and Little York.

“He was very confident. He was very friendly. I mean he was putting on a real good show,” Ali said.

Most of their encounter was caught on surveillance cameras mounted outside the gas station, something the accused thief may not have been aware of. He took the car for a test drive and two made a deal: $18,500 cash.

They agreed to meet the next day at a grocery store parking lot in southwest Houston near Beechnut and Beltway 8, close to where the supposed buyer said he worked.

“I drive there and he tells me he just has to pick up the money from his grandma's house because he left it there because it's close to his workplace. We're standing outside and he's got the key and I get a phone call. I take that phone call and as soon as I get distracted with that phone call, he jumps in and locks the doors. I immediately knew something was wrong,” Ali said.

And then, he sped off. Now, Ali is offering a cash reward, hoping someone knows who he is and find him.

“I just want this guy behind bars before he does it to somebody else,” Ali said.


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