BOARDMAN Thieves steal pickup, driving away with couple's trust and Boardman couple's trust

Police are looking for the two men who took the vehicle.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- What should have been a five-minute test drive turned into a long, expensive nightmare for a township couple.
Patricia Polak and her husband wanted to sell their 1991 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. The couple did what most sellers do -- advertised the truck for sale and waited for interested buyers.
On Friday evening two men, appearing to be in their 30s or 40s, showed up at the Polak home and expressed interest in buying the truck. Patricia Polak spoke with the two men and agreed to allow them to take the truck for a test drive. She handed over the keys to the truck after the men agreed to leave the car they were driving until they returned.
The Polaks waited, but after several minutes they began to suspect something was wrong. Patricia Polak eventually checked the inside of the 1986 Chevrolet Cavalier the men were driving and found a destroyed dashboard and dismantled steering column. Police later determined the car had been stolen in Garrettsville. The license plates on the car had been stolen out of Youngstown.
The Polaks have not seen their pickup truck since the two men drove off with it.
A first for them
"Over all the years, we have sold cars. You never think that the person is not coming back when they leave their car with you," Polak said. "You just figure that if they leave a car then they are coming back, but we learned a lot Friday."
Patricia Polak said the situation is worse, and more costly, for the couple because the key ring the thieves drove off with also holds the keys to their house and other vehicles. The couple stayed home all weekend out of fear the thieves would return to break into their house. They are having their home and vehicle locks changed.
Township police Capt. Jack Nichols said it is wise for private sellers to always go with the person test-driving their car and take a friend or family member along for safety reasons if possible. He said the seller should also always request to hold the prospective buyer's car keys.
Nichols said the department has not seen a test-drive theft in some time. When it does happen, he said, it is usually at a car dealership.
Ron Julius, owner of Blue Ribbon Motors in Austintown, said professional car salesman have rules to minimize such thefts.
"We are told by the insurance companies to get the actual driver's license, hold it and make sure the person is at least 18 years old. We also hold their keys, and if they are walking they can't test drive anything," he said.
jgoodwin@vindy.com