Van Rental Owner Fools Thieves Into Returning Stolen Vehicle

The owner of a San Francisco van rental service got fed up enough with customers stealing his vans that he personally sought one out to get it back. Bandago owner Sharky Laguana followed the van around and, after being frustrated with the lack of police response to his plight, lied to the people who stole it, effectively fooling them into giving it back, SFGate reported.

In a Twitter thread that went semi-viral, Laguana outlined how bureaucratic hurdles make it difficult for rental company owners to get back stolen vehicles. They cannot be reported stolen until five days past their due date, and they can only be cited as embezzlement rather than theft.

Laguana said he got lucky and saw a van he was looking for in traffic and decided to follow it. After chasing it down, he tricked the supposed thieves into returning it.

We walk up to the van, smiling, looking friendly.
We motion the driver to roll down the window.
I’m hanging back a couple feet. Don’t want to be scary or threatening. She rolls the window down.
David: “Are you Linda?”
Linda: “Why are you asking?”
— Sharky Laguana (@Sharkyl) February 9, 2018

“Hi, I just filed a stolen vehicle report at the police station right there”
(I point at the police station.)
They are coming, if you are still here you’ll be arrested. If you take off in the van they’ll just arrest you down the street, but if you leave now it’ll be chill”
— Sharky Laguana (@Sharkyl) February 9, 2018

The tale continues with a bit of "bluffing" to throw off the van thieves.

We are bluffing. But we caught them off guard. They discuss for a second and then say “OK”.
David asks for the keys, she hands it to him.
Then we watch them unpack all their stuff. Tons of luggage. They were living in the van.
— Sharky Laguana (@Sharkyl) February 9, 2018

However, while some saw it as a valiant act by a business owner, others took it as an example of the Bay Area’s unchecked income inequality at work. Laguana’s thread indicated the thieves had luggage and may have been living in the car, which has become a somewhat common practice in the Bay Area and nearby Silicon Valley due to sky-high rent and stagnant wages.

Some folks in Laguana’s Twitter replies saw it as a man being needlessly cruel to homeless people. However, Laguana theorized that these particular thieves may not have come across all of that luggage honestly and had a rap sheet. He told KRON-4 that people steal his vans to commit more crimes or even export them to Mexico.