Moraine car theft victim fires at his own car, hits tires

Police got the call at about 5:30 p.m.

"He pleaded with the driver, the suspect, to stop," Neubauer said. "The windows were up. He was yelling at him...the driver continued pulling out" of the parking lot. That's when the victim fired five to 10 times at his own car, hitting two of the tires.

The car thief headed north on State Route 741, to Springboro Pike and onto I-75 north at high speed, at times driving onto the right side emergency shoulder, Neubauer said. A motorist who was following the thief lost the stolen car in heavy traffic somewhere on 75, the sergeant said. An early description of the thief identified him as white with tattoos. He was shirtless and dressed in khaki pants and shoes.

That prompted police to issue a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) alert for the car, which bears license tags FSJ 2293.

There is the matter of the victim's plight as far as his firing shots at his own car.

"You have a right to protect your property." the sergeant said. "However, there is a way to do that. That portion of the investigation is ongoing, to be passed onto detectives for presentation to the prosecutor's office."

The victim was lawfully carrying his weapon, Neubauer said. No one was hit by the gunfire.

Neubauer said the victim doesn't know the suspect and characterized the incident as a crime of opportunity.

"We don't believe the keys were in the vehicle," Neubauer said. "We believe the vehicle was secure."

Neubauer said the car may have been targeted because the keys in older vehicles don't have microchips in them and that makes them easier to steal.

If you see the LeSabre, you are asked to call Moraine police dispatch at 937-535-1166.