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Crime & Safety

Found Truck Gives Way to Insurance Woes for Local Couple

Insurance hassles continue stressful ordeal for Steve and Suzanne Lorente

Richmond Police Department found Steve and Suzanne Lorente’s work truck that was stolen from Dixon in less than 24 hours. But that was only the beginning of bad news.

The 1985 Toyota with a dented front fender was discovered in a “urban” area completely stripped. It was missing its right and left front and right rear tires— Richmond Police found it sitting on a small jack and various 2x4 blocks.

This truck makes 30 stolen vehicles — more than two cars per month — from Dixon since June 2010 according to Captain Steve Bird.

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In the Richmond Police report, the damage to the vehicle was described as the driver and passenger door were unlocked; the ignition had been punched with some object; the interior of the cab had been ransacked; and, the catalytic converter was intact.

Police also describe the paint and dents on all sides of the truck but nothing is said about the damage to the service boxes, where the tools were kept, although when the Lorentes saw the truck at the tow yard each of the locked compartments on the service part of the truck had been broken into and nothing was left.  

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“Why they didn’t take the fourth tire or the catalytic converter is probably because they were interrupted. The truck was in front of someone’s house in a neighborhood but, of course, no one saw anything,” Steve Lorente surmised.

He is now dealing with lots of paperwork for insurance after the Richmond Police originally called with the news. The gave the Lorentes a release for the vehicle which they had to take to the Richmond PD and exchange for a new release to give to Civic Center Towing in Richmond. At the towing business, Steve was told he could not remove any personal property or take pictures of the damage.

The Lorentes wanted the truck released to State Farm and he’s coming to grips that he may never get to see his truck again as the insurance agency is the one who determines whether or not the vehicle is scrapped or repaired.

“Dealing with the insurance company has been extremely difficult. They don’t care,” Steve said. ”They are very cold. You can spend 25 years paying premiums and never use your insurance but when you need it, they turn from Santa Claus to the Devil. It’s true and everyone knows it’s true.”

Steve has spent two days discovering that he has to deal with different parts of the insurance company because the contents of his truck are covered under his homeowners policy but the truck itself is covered under the vehicle policy. Then, the comprehensive and liability part of the claim is covered by yet another.

“You have to be telling the same information over and over. They won’t give me any information whatsoever. Every (agency) seems to be covering for someone else and no one is there to help you,” he said. “As heartfelt, sympathetic and compassionate as the officers in Dixon were, it was exactly the opposite in Richmond.”

“Everyone in Dixon needs to realize that even though we are a little town, there are still statistics of theft and vandalism,” he said. “Bad people realize there is stuff here to take and being located next to I-80 with an easy escape route only heightens that ability to steal.”

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