Crime & Safety
Thieves Drive Away With Car Man Intended to Hand Down to Son
A car that a man bought as a teen with his father had been in storage at a friend's house in West Des Moines. But burglars included the 1984 Firebird in their haul when they robbed the house last week.
West Des Moines police said thieves broke into a home and stole thousands of dollars worth of valuables, including a car a father had hoped to give to his son one day, reports KCCI.com.
"When I was 12, my dad told me he and I would buy a car together. So when I turned 15, we purchased it and I learned how to drive it. He taught me how to do the stick shift,” Mike Augsburger told the TV station. "Once we adopted Elijah, I thought, ‘You know, that's something I'd like to pass down to him someday and see him enjoy the car, as well.’"
Augsburger put his 1984 Pontiac Firebird in a friend's garage for the winter. That friend's West Des Moines house was burglarized a few days ago while the residents were out of state.
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"I just got a call on Saturday from the owner of the house and he told me what had happened," Augsburger told KCCI. "Their house was robbed, ransacked, and stuff was strewn all over the place. A bunch of things stolen."
Including the Firebird Augsburger had planned to give to his son.
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Now he hopes for a happy ending.
"I would love to have it back in good condition, and have my son be able to enjoy it," said Augsburger.
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