Debt Ridden Consumers Resort To Torching Cars To Get Out Of Payments

Burdened by debt and driving home from a night of gambling in West Virginia, Sergio Lopez launched a scheme that at the time must have seemed like a good idea.

He pulled his Volkswagen Jetta up to a random corner in Silver Spring, doused the interior with gasoline, set it on fire and walked away. He later made a claim to Nationwide Insurance. The car was missing, he said -- someone must have stolen it.

Add Lopez, who pleaded guilty in the case this year, to the band of Washington area residents who have torched their cars hoping for a quick insurance check. A Baltimore police officer did it. So did a Baltimore firefighter. A Prince William County resident burned a minivan for a friend.

 

Agent009 - 10/15/2008 4:29:20 PM

+5 Boost

Gotta read past page one maybe? Though there were two on that page, you missed one.

But on page two you can see "Police said more than 700 vehicles are burned by arsonists in the region each year" that is only that region of the US. So it is far more widespread than an isolated case.

Also if you read to page three you see several other cases.

AgentOrange - 10/15/2008 4:34:53 PM

+4 Boost

That looks like a 20 year old Chevy sedan - worth about $50.

toolatetorace - 10/15/2008 10:01:16 PM

+1 Boost

You are right on the year ,Ajent Orange but, way off on the value of the car . Scrap prices being what they are are bringing aprox. $250.00 if you drive it into a salvage yard with all it's main conmponets intact . They do require a lein free title though . Probably something this person did not have

veyron1001 - 10/15/2008 7:53:46 PM

+2 Boost

It would have been more intelligent if he maybe set the engine on fire? I dont know but could there be a possibility that the engine compartment generates more heat than the interior unless he is eating a extra spicy burrito.

truckman - 10/16/2008 6:02:05 AM

+1 Boost

This happened back in the 80s oil shortage too.

AMiodynski - 10/16/2008 11:57:08 AM

+1 Boost

dumbass's !! Almost all insurance companies check to see if you were paying ontime, they also run a credit check to make sure your not missing payment's elsewhere, and then they wait an average of 30 days to ut a check...

Janizary - 10/16/2008 11:59:20 AM

+2 Boost

I mentioned in the comments to the repo article yesterday that I do a lot of trail riding outside of Las Vegs. I typically used to find one or two stripped or burned cars along some of the trails every month or so. Over the last few months that number has tripled, and nearly all were burned, not stripped. May or may not be related to this article, but may also be more than coincidence. I just not the location on my GPS and call in the VIN number and Location to LVMPD.

komododave - 10/17/2008 1:58:14 PM

+1 Boost

Did anyone else read that as "Debt Ridden Consumer Reports Torching Cars to Get Out of Payments." I was really looking forward to that article and the hilarity that would have ensued.

komododave - 10/17/2008 1:58:21 PM

+1 Boost

Did anyone else read that as "Debt Ridden Consumer Reports Torching Cars to Get Out of Payments." I was really looking forward to that article and the hilarity that would have ensued.