1 reply to this topic

[HUTCH]

1996 Grand Sport #947, coupe, black interior, F45 suspension, 56,000 miles, STOLEN Thursday, June 10th, in North Miami Beach, FL.

It saddens me to report this loss, especially from one of our own. This car was owned since new by Margie Love, GSR Lifetime Member, and was certainly her baby. Read her harrowing and poignant story and you'll see she has every right to be traumatized by this event. Thank God SHE is alright, though. It could easily have been a different story. Obviously, if you have any clues as to the car's whereabouts, alert the North Miami Beach Police Department at 305-948-2911 or contact the GSR. And of course, please keep Margie in your thoughts and prayers at this time. Thanks.

As Margie says in her email... "Some might say... It's just a car. I would beg to differ."

-Hutch-
\\ 96GS #633

P.S.: Margie even took her complaint about local crime to the City Hall and it was featured on the nightly news. See the video at
http://cbs4.com/vide...for.dayport.com

=================

Sunday, June 13th
Dear Hutch,

On June 10, 2010, at 10:00pm, I arrived home alone, to a robbery in progress. It was a terrifying and violent scene. Robbers broke into my home and stole everything of value.

As I backed into my driveway, I noticed a bright light. At that instant, the robbers rammed the GS into the car I had parked in front of it. That car took out my neighbors concrete wall and proceeded to travel full speed, and crash into the car I was driving. After that, it put a hole in a tree and came to rest. That car has no neutral or reverse. The body is also severely damaged.

Next, the GS with bright headlights on, came flying out of the driveway, aiming at the car I was driving. He swerved and took off speeding away. A witness also saw him traveling at a very high rate of speed.

Now I have flashbacks of the scene. I am afraid to go out and I am afraid to stay in the house. I fear that they will come back. No one has been caught!

The burden of proof is on me, to tell the story of the GS (to my insurance company) and provide evidence of it's current value in very good condition with 56,000 actual miles. Since I am the original owner, I of course planned to keep it forever and it's value would eventually increase. It was my only investment.

Since they took all of my valuables, and only the corvette had full coverage, the other cars are a loss. My jewelry was not insured! The two flat screen TV's are covered for replacement value. I can not replace them because the robbers may come back. I am virtually a prisoner in my own home!

The GS was my life...I am devastated! I know you understand.

Thanks Hutch

Appreciatively,

Margie Love
GS947

=================

Monday, June 14th
Dear Hutch,

Thank you for responding so quickly, with such short notice.

Here's what's planned for tomorrow night...

10 outdoor yard style REWARD signs are being printed. Myself and a group of neighbors is scheduled to speak at the city council meeting. The chief of police will meet me there and support my suggestions for a safer neighborhood, with quality of life in mind. It will be televised.

While mourning the loss of my beloved car and personal effects, as well as reliving the traumatizing events of that night, I have chosen to take a stand and fight to take back my neighborhood of 25 years. It was really scary to leave my home for the first time today, since the incident. My mechanic drove me to the police station and city hall, and I walked home. I had time to reflect on the state of our country and the world today. It made me glad that at least we had a childhood and young adulthood, free of fear.

I pray that things will get better for everyone... so that the need to take what others have worked for all of their lives, will no longer exist. I'll let you know the outcome and final fate of GS947. I only hope it doesn't end up parted out!

With the utmost respect and gratitude,

Lifetime Member
Margie Love
GS947

=================

Tuesday, June 15th

Hi Hutch,
All of my life I have always been a very private person. But the events of June 10, 2010 at 10:00pm are very personal and beg to be made very public.

YES, you absolutely have my permission to make my story public.

Here are a few suggestions to the few GS members who do not have a garage for their car. If they plan to park another car in front of the GS...to protect it from theft, they had better make it two cars. Our GS's are so powerful, they can push a heavy older model car out of the way, and take out a concrete wall, in the process.

My keys were always hidden in the house. Unfortunately, I was tired when I brought the keys inside, the last time I used them. They were in a box, next to my Jewelry, and it may have been a crime of opportunity. Then again...Did they come for the contents of the house... or did they come for the car? Perhaps they love the GS as much as we do!

My two flatscreen Digital HD televisions should have been locked down. I hear that if they were, they may have been torn off the wall, anyway. I'm taking a neighbors empty flat screen television box, I found on the trash pile, to our meeting tonight. Don't leave empty boxes outside. It is advertising what you have, and an open invitation to criminals, to help themselves.

When you arrive home at night and you sense something is not right, as I did, with the bright lights coming from the back of my driveway... Do not get out of the car! If I had, the police informed me that I surely would have been run over. Instead, only the car I was in, got hit. I'm told that criminals will stop at nothing to escape. They don't want to be caught!

If I had come home 5 or 10 minutes sooner, and entered my house... No telling what they would have done to me!

If anything is amiss, especially lights left on, when you arrive home... Do not enter. Call the police. You don't want to confront anyone! Criminals are in a hurry and don't usually take the time to turn lights off... So that is a clue.

Calling 911 is a natural instinct... Consider programing the direct line number to your local police dept. into your cell phone.
It takes time for 911 to direct the call. In my case...they never did...and I had to call back and start all over again. This gave my speeding GS (headed straight down the street, in the direction of the police station, three blocks away....plenty of time to clear the area. If I hadn't been so shaken and in shock, calling them directly would have probably been the answer. The GS is so high profile, as are the cops on that block...It would have been a definite take down.

Don't chase the criminals yourself. I was so traumatized, I couldn't do that. The GS would have outrun me anyway, and perhaps someone would have been hurt or killed in the chase. Normally, that has always been my first instinct.
!
Home alarms are nice...My next door neighbor's home was hit last month, when her's malfunctioned.

The sign company just erected my REWARD signs around the neighborhood. I am ready to speak, (televised) tonight. My Progressive Insurance agent is grateful for the help from me, the city, the police, and the GS members around the world!

Finding GS947... What a story that would make!

Thank you for any prayers and blessings from our members!

God Bless All Of You!

Lovingly,
Margie
GS947

=================

Wednesday, June 15th

We did make the 11:00pm Channel 4 NEWS! Our neighborhood is lined with signs. In my interview I said that it is a message to the criminals... to stay out of our neighborhood!!!

We have formed a committee to meet with the police chief and come up with a formal plan to take back our neighborhood!!!
It's the criminals who will have to move...when they can!!!

I know this sounds completely crazy ... but ... tonight I got this vibe that GS947 was scared and wanted to come home. If the car could think and talk ... imagine the story it would tell! Could it be ... that we are this attached to these cars? It was my only baby ... for 14 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some might say... It's just a car. I would beg to differ.

Thank you for being my support group...

Lovingly,

Margie
Lost and Lonely
GS947

[Vanity Bob]

1996 Grand Sport #947, coupe, black interior, F45 suspension, 56,000 miles, STOLEN Thursday, June 10th, in North Miami Beach, FL.

It saddens me to report this loss, especially from one of our own. This car was owned since new by Margie Love, GSR Lifetime Member, and was certainly her baby. Read her harrowing and poignant story and you'll see she has every right to be traumatized by this event. Thank God SHE is alright, though. It could easily have been a different story. Obviously, if you have any clues as to the car's whereabouts, alert the North Miami Beach Police Department at 305-948-2911 or contact the GSR. And of course, please keep Margie in your thoughts and prayers at this time. Thanks.

As Margie says in her email... "Some might say... It's just a car. I would beg to differ."

-Hutch-
\\ 96GS #633

P.S.: Margie even took her complaint about local crime to the City Hall and it was featured on the nightly news. See the video at
http://cbs4.com/vide...for.dayport.com

=================

Sunday, June 13th
Dear Hutch,

On June 10, 2010, at 10:00pm, I arrived home alone, to a robbery in progress. It was a terrifying and violent scene. Robbers broke into my home and stole everything of value.

As I backed into my driveway, I noticed a bright light. At that instant, the robbers rammed the GS into the car I had parked in front of it. That car took out my neighbors concrete wall and proceeded to travel full speed, and crash into the car I was driving. After that, it put a hole in a tree and came to rest. That car has no neutral or reverse. The body is also severely damaged.

Next, the GS with bright headlights on, came flying out of the driveway, aiming at the car I was driving. He swerved and took off speeding away. A witness also saw him traveling at a very high rate of speed.

Now I have flashbacks of the scene. I am afraid to go out and I am afraid to stay in the house. I fear that they will come back. No one has been caught!

The burden of proof is on me, to tell the story of the GS (to my insurance company) and provide evidence of it's current value in very good condition with 56,000 actual miles. Since I am the original owner, I of course planned to keep it forever and it's value would eventually increase. It was my only investment.

Since they took all of my valuables, and only the corvette had full coverage, the other cars are a loss. My jewelry was not insured! The two flat screen TV's are covered for replacement value. I can not replace them because the robbers may come back. I am virtually a prisoner in my own home!

The GS was my life...I am devastated! I know you understand.

Thanks Hutch

Appreciatively,

Margie Love
GS947

=================

Monday, June 14th
Dear Hutch,

Thank you for responding so quickly, with such short notice.

Here's what's planned for tomorrow night...

10 outdoor yard style REWARD signs are being printed. Myself and a group of neighbors is scheduled to speak at the city council meeting. The chief of police will meet me there and support my suggestions for a safer neighborhood, with quality of life in mind. It will be televised.

While mourning the loss of my beloved car and personal effects, as well as reliving the traumatizing events of that night, I have chosen to take a stand and fight to take back my neighborhood of 25 years. It was really scary to leave my home for the first time today, since the incident. My mechanic drove me to the police station and city hall, and I walked home. I had time to reflect on the state of our country and the world today. It made me glad that at least we had a childhood and young adulthood, free of fear.

I pray that things will get better for everyone... so that the need to take what others have worked for all of their lives, will no longer exist. I'll let you know the outcome and final fate of GS947. I only hope it doesn't end up parted out!

With the utmost respect and gratitude,

Lifetime Member
Margie Love
GS947

=================

Tuesday, June 15th

Hi Hutch,
All of my life I have always been a very private person. But the events of June 10, 2010 at 10:00pm are very personal and beg to be made very public.

YES, you absolutely have my permission to make my story public.

Here are a few suggestions to the few GS members who do not have a garage for their car. If they plan to park another car in front of the GS...to protect it from theft, they had better make it two cars. Our GS's are so powerful, they can push a heavy older model car out of the way, and take out a concrete wall, in the process.

My keys were always hidden in the house. Unfortunately, I was tired when I brought the keys inside, the last time I used them. They were in a box, next to my Jewelry, and it may have been a crime of opportunity. Then again...Did they come for the contents of the house... or did they come for the car? Perhaps they love the GS as much as we do!

My two flatscreen Digital HD televisions should have been locked down. I hear that if they were, they may have been torn off the wall, anyway. I'm taking a neighbors empty flat screen television box, I found on the trash pile, to our meeting tonight. Don't leave empty boxes outside. It is advertising what you have, and an open invitation to criminals, to help themselves.

When you arrive home at night and you sense something is not right, as I did, with the bright lights coming from the back of my driveway... Do not get out of the car! If I had, the police informed me that I surely would have been run over. Instead, only the car I was in, got hit. I'm told that criminals will stop at nothing to escape. They don't want to be caught!

If I had come home 5 or 10 minutes sooner, and entered my house... No telling what they would have done to me!

If anything is amiss, especially lights left on, when you arrive home... Do not enter. Call the police. You don't want to confront anyone! Criminals are in a hurry and don't usually take the time to turn lights off... So that is a clue.

Calling 911 is a natural instinct... Consider programing the direct line number to your local police dept. into your cell phone.
It takes time for 911 to direct the call. In my case...they never did...and I had to call back and start all over again. This gave my speeding GS (headed straight down the street, in the direction of the police station, three blocks away....plenty of time to clear the area. If I hadn't been so shaken and in shock, calling them directly would have probably been the answer. The GS is so high profile, as are the cops on that block...It would have been a definite take down.

Don't chase the criminals yourself. I was so traumatized, I couldn't do that. The GS would have outrun me anyway, and perhaps someone would have been hurt or killed in the chase. Normally, that has always been my first instinct.
!
Home alarms are nice...My next door neighbor's home was hit last month, when her's malfunctioned.

The sign company just erected my REWARD signs around the neighborhood. I am ready to speak, (televised) tonight. My Progressive Insurance agent is grateful for the help from me, the city, the police, and the GS members around the world!

Finding GS947... What a story that would make!

Thank you for any prayers and blessings from our members!

God Bless All Of You!

Lovingly,
Margie
GS947

=================

Wednesday, June 15th

We did make the 11:00pm Channel 4 NEWS! Our neighborhood is lined with signs. In my interview I said that it is a message to the criminals... to stay out of our neighborhood!!!

We have formed a committee to meet with the police chief and come up with a formal plan to take back our neighborhood!!!
It's the criminals who will have to move...when they can!!!

I know this sounds completely crazy ... but ... tonight I got this vibe that GS947 was scared and wanted to come home. If the car could think and talk ... imagine the story it would tell! Could it be ... that we are this attached to these cars? It was my only baby ... for 14 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some might say... It's just a car. I would beg to differ.

Thank you for being my support group...

Lovingly,

Margie
Lost and Lonely
GS947

That's a real bummer. I wrote in the forum of my experience, in part.
Hope the best and God Bless. They violated you.
Bob