FORT WORTH, Texas — A Fort Worth family says the toughest part of getting their car stolen was what happened after they got it back.
In late January, Katie Crum and her husband woke up and discovered their daughter’s new car was stolen out of their driveway in Fort Worth’s Westcliff neighborhood while they were sleeping.
“He might’ve been taking out the trash or something and was like, 'Where’s the car,'" she said.
This week, police arrested the alleged thief and recovered the white Nissan Juke after a traffic stop.
Crum paid a more than $200 impound fee to pick up the car, and when she opened the doors, she discovered it filled with drug paraphernalia and what appeared to be stolen property.
"There are probably 50 to 60 different IDs, social security cards, debit cards, credit cards, computers, backpacks, skateboards, bolt cutters, head lamps," she said. "I’m looking at the impound guy and the impound guy is looking at me like, 'I have no idea what to do to help you.'"
Still with the car, she called the detective on the case and even spoke to a lieutenant.
"He’s like, 'what do you want me to do,'" she said, recounting the call. "I was under the assumption that an investigation included going through evidence."
Crum was told leaving the evidence in the car was protocol.
"You’re going to let me roll out of the impound lot with five felonies sitting in my car," she said. "That doesn’t seem like good police work to me, and he’s like, 'Well it’s protocol.'"
In statement, Fort Worth police said, "Often times, it is difficult to discern what property belongs to the original owner and what has been left behind by the suspect." They added, "This is certainly not standard protocol."
Crum’s husband is an attorney and she has a legal background, as well, so she says she knew what happened wasn’t right and posted about the incident on Facebook.
“I bet there’s 20 women on that post that said the exact same thing happened to them,” she said.
Eventually, Crum says an officer came to get the property out of the car, collecting it in a trash bag the impound lot provided. Police say internal affairs is now investigating.
“I’m glad they’re willing to take responsibility and hold those responsible that should’ve been responsible to begin with,” she said.