True Crime: Car theft

The beat-up Suburban was gone.

The Victim: Joyce Butler
The Crime: Car theft
Date: Monday, Aug. 9
Time: Between 1a.m. and 7 a.m.
Location:9400 block of Spring Branch

Joyce Butler could have gotten rid of her old 1987 Chevy Suburban years ago. It was rusty and aging, and the doors rattled when she drove. But there was something about that old ride. The big gas-guzzling vehicle held lots of people and had been used for special occasions. Butler had driven the car on family vacations to the coast and fishing trips. She had also sponsored her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, and loaded it up with girls eager for a weekend camping trip.

In recent years, however, Butler’s children have grown older, and there has not been much use for the old Suburban. It still runs and might be used for the occasional haul, Butler says, but in recent years, she put fewer than 100 miles on it annually.

Despite that, Butler has always put a bit of cash into the car to keep it in running order.

“We bought it new in 1987,” Butler says. “Emotionally, I was really attached to it because we had it for a really long time, and did so much in it.”

In the early morning hours of Aug. 9, that old Suburban went missing from her White Rock Valley home.

“They cut through the steering column and hot-wired it. I told the policeman that came that if they had knocked on the door and asked for it, I probably would have given it to them,” Butler says good-naturedly.

Luckily, the car’s “gently used” condition helped lead to its eventual return.

“The police saw someone loading lawn equipment into it, and the policeman remembered a stolen Suburban that looked like that,” Butler says. “It really is an eyesore, so it’s easy to see.”

Police returned the car to Butler, but the steering column was damaged. Despite her affection for the old vehicle, Butler has finally decided to give it to someone who may put it to better use.

“I think probably instead of putting any more money into it, I’m going to donate it to Dallas CAN Academy or Goodwill,” she says.

Dallas Police Sgt. Keitric Jones of the Northeast Patrol Division says the suspect has been charged with car theft, and is suspected of being involved in multiple crimes. Jones encourages neighbors to make car thefts more difficult for thieves.

“The easiest vehicle to steal is the vehicle that is left with the keys in the ignition,” Jones says. “It is important to remember to lock your vehicle and take your keys whenever you leave your vehicle for any amount of time.”