“We feel helpless”: His Honda CR-V was stolen twice

A man from Saint-Hyacinthe has been through a lot of trouble since his Honda CR-V was stolen twice in a matter of months.

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Rodrigo Celi, 32, suffered his first vehicle theft on the night of January 5, 2022.

The man, who was staying in Colombia at the time of the theft, decided to leave his vehicle in front of a friend’s residence in Montreal. Knowing that Honda’s CR-V model is popular with thieves, he didn’t want to leave his SUV unattended.

Despite the Quebec government introducing a curfew last January, the criminals managed to steal the vehicle without being intercepted by SPVM police officers.

After returning to Quebec, the man began a series of steps with his insurance company to learn about the options available to him.

His insurer offered him to sign an ownership agreement and received compensation. But if his vehicle is found, he will no longer be the owner.

A few days later, he was told that his vehicle had been found, but he could not get it back due to a signed contract with the insurance company.

“We feel helpless. Besides, for us [sa famille]This indicates financial loss, as interest rates have increased […]. Even if we were compensated, we had to pay for a car that was more expensive than what we had before,” said Mr Seeley.

Without a car, the family had to find a plan B. The man decides to reorder the SUV and after a four-month delay, the family finally gets it.

To avoid a second misfortune, Rodrigo takes all means to thwart the thieves’ plans by acquiring anti-theft items.

Additionally, he makes sure to park his vehicle on the steps of his residence.

Despite his best efforts, the Saint-Hyacinthe resident recently had his Honda CR-V stolen for the second time in front of his home. He explained to our journalist how the thief or thieves managed to evade his preparations.

“We have traces, we see signs [sur le gazon et les escaliers]. Care was taken to avoid. It was not easy to reach the CR-V as there were vehicles around it but they passed the exact spot […]. They bypassed all the cars there,” he said.

***Watch the full interview with Rodrigo Celi below***