LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police say a Louisville auto mechanic tried to close shop and move away -- without returning the vehicles he was working on.
According to several arrest warrants, Michael Anthony Kinsman had a garage late last year, where he offered to repair vehicles for several clients. Between July and September, Kinsman allegedly took possession of vehicles belonging to three clients.
In July, a man and his son paid Kinsman $1,250 to install a new engine in a 1984 Chevy El Camino.
In September, a friend of Kinsman gave him her 1991 Chevy K-1500 pickup truck with instructions that he was to fix a "rattle" noise it was making.
In the same month, a man paid Kinsman $700 to purchase an engine to install in his 1996 Chevy S-10.
Not only did Kinsman fail to complete these repairs, according to police, but he also refused to return the vehicles.
Police say the owner of the 1991 Chevy K-1500 pickup truck began questioning Kinsman about the status of the repairs after several weeks went by, but he, "began making excuses." She was later surprised to find her truck at a junk yard, where police say Kinsman had sold it for scrap on Sept. 25. The truck contained a saddle, CDs, tools and other equipment that was valued at roughly $2,000.
Police say the other two clients were unable to recover their vehicles. According to arrest warrants, they were surprised to learn that Kinsman had moved out of his home sometime before Oct. 24. Both his car and his furniture were gone.
The whereabouts of their vehicles is unknown.
Officers caught up with Kinsman on Friday evening and charged him with multiple counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of property.
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Michael Kinsman (Source: Louisville Metro Corrections)
