Stupid People

Police: Suspect Tries To Sell Owner Stolen Car

POSTED: 7:28 pm EDT June 27, 2007
UPDATED: 12:10 am EDT June 28, 2007
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Clay County investigators recently arrested an auto theft suspect who they said made their job easy by trying to sell the stolen vehicle back to its owner.

Jim Black said he left church on Mother's Day to find his 1979 El Camino had been stolen during services. He had just about given up on recovering the vehicle, and had even bought another car, when he received a call from Michael DeMoss.

The sheriff's office said DeMoss called the car's owner more than a month after the theft and offered to sell the stolen vehicle back to him for $500.
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"At about a quarter to five in the morning, a guy called and said, 'You got a black El Camino?' I said I had one. He said, 'I have one and found your phone number and name in it and want to know what you know about it,'" Black said.

He said he informed the caller that his car had been stolen and that he should call the police. Black said the man agreed and then gave Black his name and phone number before hanging up.

A few hours later, DeMoss called Black back asking if he wanted his car back.

"He said, 'I tell you what, If you got $500 … meet me over in Middleburg and I'll get your truck back.' I said, 'I said it sounds like a deal to me -- how about the cops?' He said, "Oh well, we won't deal with them,'" Black said.

However, Black had already dealt with the police, who were aware of meeting.

"He said he's either going to be in a white car or the stolen El Camino," said Clay County Sheriff's Office Deputy Sean Marx.

Marx said he found DeMoss waiting in a white car. Police said DeMoss claimed that he was simply trying to be a Good Samaritan.

"His first thing was, 'I found the car stolen. I'm just trying to be a Good Samaritan and bring the car back to him,'" Marx said.

The officer said the suspect failed to mention that he wanted Black to pay him $500.

DeMoss was arrested, and Black got his car back.

"It makes my job easy," Marx said.

"We would have never found that car if this guy would have never picked up the phone and called me talking about he wanted to sell me my car," Black said.