ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A south St. Louis County family says they're living a nightmare all over again, after someone stole their truck not once but twice.
The custom built Ford F-450 looks like many others in the St. Louis area.
“The truck was everything,” said Amy Heightman.
To Amy Heightman, and her sister Amber Davis, the truck is a physical reminder of their parents who have both passed away.
“This is probably the one heirloom that we had of both my parents,” said Amber Davis.
“You can feel my mom and dad in there,” said Heightman.
Unfortunately, surveillance video from June of 2021 shows that thieves don’t share the same sentiment.
“They had actually surveyed our neighborhood about an hour before,” said Davis. “They came back and checked our front door, and then they went over and got in the little window that was in the back of the truck and took off with it.”
Luckily, the family was able to locate the truck, and they took steps to try and protect themselves.
“My brother-in-law was adamant that he was going to put every device on it to make sure that it was safe,” said Davis. “That included the club, a kill switch, and a really high-tech security system on it.”
That still wasn’t enough to stop the thieves from stealing the truck a second time in late-February 2023.
“They were here for quite some time,” said Davis. “They even brought additional vehicles to help out.”
“They really do not care,” said Heightman. “There’s a spotlight right on you, and the camera talks to you. They were unphased by it.”
5 On Your Side reached out to St. Louis County police, who shared data showing that car thefts are steadily declining in the County.
In August 2022, there were 383 car thefts reported in St. Louis County, but that number dropped to 254 in December 2022.
“Unfortunately, I think they are just overwhelmed by the number of vehicles that are being reported stolen each day,” said Heightman.
“I sincerely pray for the hearts of the thieves that took it to return it because it truly is part of our family,” said Davis.
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