Man says repair shop took car on Detroit joy ride, totaled car

EASTPOINTE, Mich. (WJBK) - After weeks of getting the runaround, one man found out the case he entrusted to be fixed by an Eastpointe repair shop is now sitting at an impound lot in Detroit.

"It's completely totaled," August Streater said.

He says he brought his 2015 Nissan to Gary's Customs on East Nine Mile Road in East Pointe a few weeks ago for some minor repairs.

SEE ALSO:

• State shuts down auto repair shop in Redford Twp after FOX 2 story
• Woman says car has been at auto shop in Redford Twp. for 6 months

He goes on to say he got the run around about the hold up on getting his car back.

"Sunday he called me up and told me that he had lost my car," Streater said.

Turns out, the auto shop owner told an employee to take the vehicle to their apartment in Roseville because they didn't have enough room to store it at the shop.

That's when another employee took the vehicle from the apartment location.

"Then he picked up a buddy and went down to Detroit. There they ended up picking up a prostitute, and was unable to pay them for what was done in my car, the prostitute was then upset, smashed up my windshield and robbed him in my vehicle for his belongings," Streater said.

Roseville police are investigating the matter, but it's too early in their investigation for them to provide any further details.

Fox 2's Josh Landon spoke to Gary's Customs owner Gary Gribel.

Landon: "Why take on the job if you didn't have enough room to store the vehicle?

Grible: "Sometimes we park them over there. It's what we do. When we ain't got no room and the city is complaining on us, we got to make some room."

Landon: "But is it fair on the customer to take on that job if you don't have enough room to store the vehicle?"

Grible: "No it's not fair to the customer."

Gribel says he wanted to make it right.

"I was willing to fix it out of my pocket, make the car right where he's satisfied 100 percent, but he wanted to go with the attorney," he said.

Just to be clear, there are two businesses that are operated out of this location.

Gary's Customs is the only one we're talking about. Not the other.

Landon asked Gribel if they are licensed to operate an auto shop.

"We're getting in the process right now," he said.

Streater filed a police report and says he has hired an attorney to take legal action.

"It's been a disaster," he said.