HOUSTON – School starts next week, but a college sophomore is without a vehicle to get back to campus after someone stole his truck from a local hospital parking lot.
Houston Police said on Saturday afternoon between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., someone stole a grey 2013 GMC Sierra Crew Cab truck from the parking lot of Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus.
“Well I went into my shift and everything went well and I came out and I went to the parking space and it wasn’t there,” said Keegan Lorenz-Ochoa, a volunteer who helps with the playroom at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus. “Am I going crazy, because my car was right there, so I pressed the key, I didn’t hear anything ... (I thought) maybe they towed it, so I asked security, nope it’s gone.”
Lorenz-Ochoa, 19, graduated from Tompkins High School in 2017 and is about to enter his sophomore at Texas State University in San Marcos.
He’s a double major in music and biochemistry. His current plan, to become a doctor, which is part of the reason why he’s volunteered at the hospital all summer.
“You get to care for kids, It’s scary being at the hospital and to be there for the kids is amazing,” Lorenz-Ochoa said.
“He’s a funny kid and I thought he was kidding, 00:17:54 “I was like seriously what time are you going to be home? And he goes no really mom, you go to come get me, my car was stolen,” said April Burke, Lorenz-Ochoa’s mom. “I was pretty surprised, I wouldn’t’ think that that’s something that would happen a lot in hospitals but apparently it does.”
Lorenz-Ochoa filed a police report with Houston Police on Saturday. He said he wasn’t able to keep a copy per hospital rules, but did look at surveillance video which showed the alleged crime.
“I saw a glimpse of it and from what I saw a black car pulled up and pulled off with my car. It pulled up right next to it and I think the two cars left together, hot-wired, I don’t know,” Lorenz-Ochoa said.
He said from what he could make out of it, the person was wearing a red hoodie.
The suspected thieves got away with more than just a truck, they also got away with the 19-year-old’s guitar and two amps.
Lorenz-Ochoa was part of the Jazz Ensemble at Texas State University last year and was getting ready for the upcoming school year.
“He was going to practice for this year’s jazz band audition because they have to audition every year,” Burke said. “Right after he got off volunteering he was going to practice.”
The 19-year-old said despite everything that has happened, he’s just glad it didn’t happen to a patient.
“What if that was a patient’s car? Because they’re just here to see their kid, their sick kid and you took their car, that’s evil, that’s twisted,” Lorenz-Ochoa said.
Texas Children’s Hospital released the following statement:
“The hospital was made aware of this unfortunate incident. While it’s Texas Children’s practice to not share video surveillance publicly, we are working with this family to give them the opportunity to view it privately. The care and safety of all individuals who come to our campus are vital, and we have multiple surveillance cameras that span our full parking lots.
"In addition to our in-house security team, we also have off-duty Houston Police Department officers who patrol our campus in a security vehicle. Periodically, our HPD officers go on bike patrol through the parking lots to further enhance our security coverage. Texas Children’s values the support, compassion and quality service our volunteers provide our patient families.”
As for Lorenz-Ochoa, he’s relying on his best friend, Juan to get him around town. He’s also looking at pawn shops to find a new guitar and amps.
When it comes to a car, Burke said that will take some time.
“We are trying to figure out what he’s going to take to school on Saturday. We were using the truck to move him, so just trying to figure out what he’ll be driving, insurance takes 30 days to pay, just trying to get it together, a mad dash to figure out how we’ll be getting him there,” Burke said.
In the meantime, Lorenz-Ochoa’s little brother maybe
“My middle son just got his license the day his (Lorenz-Ochoa) car was stolen, and we got him a mini cooper, my parents actually helped him get a mini cooper,” Burke said. “He was excited about that and we had to tell him that night, ‘No, brother is going to be borrowing it for a little while, so you’ll still be walking to school for a few weeks.”