LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Thefts of cars have gone up across the country. That includes the more than 1200 cars stolen in Lexington last year.
These days, most of Jesse Hasselbrink's time is filled running back and forth between two jobs. He says he's keeping his head down and paying the bills.
He says that kind of work ethic got him this white Hyundai. It was his first car after moving to Lexington nine years ago with nothing.
"I don't have any family here. This is just me. And so, I don't have cosigners," said Hasselbrink. "And so, when I got approved for that loan to Car Max, I was happy. That's my first time ever."
But recently, his normal routine of work, nap, shower, and back to work again came to a halt.
"I was just very confused because my car wasn't out there," said Hasselbrink. "I was like, you know, did I leave it somewhere?"
It was supposed to be right in the parking lot of his apartment. But it wasn’t because it had been stolen.
"I went out there. There's glass in the parking lot; they just busted my window," said Hasselbrink. "That was my pride and joy. And it just got taken from me while I was taking a nap."
What happened to Hasselbrink is also happening to people across the U.S., with an increasing number of motor vehicle thefts nationwide in 2023.
Lexington saw 1282 vehicle thefts in 2023. Police are still investigating 800 cases, 343 cases are pending, and 135 have been cleared, either due to an arrest or charges dropped.
When Hassebrink's car was eventually found, it was in terrible shape.
"The cops said when they rolled up on it, the windows were busted, the ignition was gone, and the center console was ripped out," said Hasselbrink.
Even worse, he's still on the hook for the car loan because he didn't have "gap insurance."
"Even though I did everything I was supposed to do," said Hasselbrink. "Now I'm still going to be liable for over five grand."
Hasselbrink says he is turning his focus on warning others.
"Even though it’s too late for me, people can learn about it and get ahead of it," said Hasselbrink.
We reached out to Lexington Police's Auto Crimes Unit for more information about stolen crimes but are waiting to hear back.
