I migrated to Utah in ’03. I’ve lived in Utah County for the first few years and have planted roots the majority of my time in Salt Lake County. I’m not speaking for everyone or every block, but I do know there are Utahn’s who are more trusting about their surroundings than others. I also know here in Utah how much more community oriented many residents are than some other markets and states I’ve been in. You know when people say it doesn’t hit you until it hits you or someone you know? This past weekend I felt the affects of that.. but also saw compassion rise above negativity.
On Friday night while my sister in-law’s family were asleep they had some unexpected visitors.
They woke up to both of their cars gone. My wife got the call from her sister in tears. She said the police were on their way to file a report. When we pulled up to their house she had just got off the phone with their bank and there were some transactions in the middle of the night – which also told us they had her purse with all their cards and keys to everything. Soon they had a photo of a woman and man in a Beto’s drive-thru in Kearns using their bank card. So I took to Twitter asking for Utah’s help..
DISCLAIMER: SOME TWEETS BELOW HAVE EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
Utah Twitter my loved ones need your help. These ***** decided to jack my sister-in-law’s cars (‘14 Gray Acura MDX, ‘15 White VW GTI) while they were asleep in their home. Please RT, and let me know if you have any idea who they are. We’re offering 1k for any info on them. pic.twitter.com/EwQaJGFERV
— The iLLapino (@erockalypze) May 6, 2018
Here’s video of them in their Corolla (not the stolen vehicles) using their credit cards at a Beto’s in Kearns pic.twitter.com/eDrzemx2Hg
— The iLLapino (@erockalypze) May 6, 2018
As the weekend continued the retweets and likes kept coming of people in Utah sharing and giving their compassion for what had happened. Tweets were coming in of other local car jackings happening to them. I think in one way or another everyone has felt their privacy invaded so it resonated with Utahn’s.
I’m sorry, that’s awful. I hope police find them!
— Maricruz🍍 (@_Marixox3) May 6, 2018
Let me know if I can do anything beyond retweets.
— Post Traumatic Malone (@Johnny_UT) May 6, 2018
Which police agency was this reported to ? Can we use your photos ?
— ABC4 Utah (@abc4utah) May 6, 2018
SMH. I hope y’all find them!!!
— CHINXXX (@SWWEETCHINXX) May 6, 2018
Just when all hope of finding their cars was lost, wifey got the call from her sister at 1AM this morning that the authorities had executed a sting operation (details not released yet) and have both the pictured suspects in custody… and the best part is they found both cars without damage.
My favorite part about this whole ordeal was the amount of love and kindness that came online in the form of over 2k shares on Facebook, hundreds of retweets on my Twitter post and the overwhelming amount of messages of support from people we don’t even know. Leaders of organizations putting the word out to people they knew. Its one of the main reasons why I love living here… humanity lives here.
