>> CENTER FOR THE MAN SAYS A MOBILE MECHANIC TOOK HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FROM HIM AND
DISAPPEARED SO HE CALLED NEWS 6
ASKING IF WE COULD INVESTIGATE
THE COMPANY AND WE DID WITH A
SURPRISING TWIST.
HERE NOW INVESTIGATOR LOUIS
BOLDEN STANDING BY TO TELL US
WHAT HE FOUND.
>> WE FOUND OUT A LOT.
THE COMPANY ADVERTISES ON
FACEBOOK AND ON VEHICLES.
CURTIS SMITH SAID HE SAW THE
COMPANY ADVERTISING MOBILE
MECHANIC SERVICES ONE DAY AND
JOTTED THE NUMBER DOWN IN CASE
HE EVER NEEDED IT.
IT TURNS OUT HE DID NEED IT BUT
HE SAYS HE REGRETS OVER
CALLING.
EMILY STARTED TO TELL ME WHAT
HAPPENED IT ALL SOUNDED VERY
FAMILIAR.
>> I DID NOT THINK --
>> WHEN CURTIS SMITH DODGE
INTREPID BROKE BACK DOWN IN
NOVEMBER HE REACHED FOR THE
NUMBER HE HAD SEEN PLASTERED ON
THE SIDE OF THIS MAN DRIVING
AROUND TOWN.
>> IF YOU NEEDED MOBILE
MECHANIC SERVICE.
>> HE SAID HE CALLED THE NUMBER
AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE
COMPANY SHOWED UP AND INSPECTED
THE CAR AND TOLD HIM HE NEEDED
A CAMSHAFT SENSOR.
SMITH SAID HE PLAYED $190 FOR
SUPPORT AND LABOR BUT THEN WAS
TOLD HE NEEDED SOMETHING ELSE.
>> I SAID HOW MUCH IS THAT PART
AND HE SAID ABOUT $350 AND I
SAID I DON’T HAVE THE MONEY
RIGHT NOW SO I SAID I WILL GO
AHEAD AND CALL MY COMPANY TO
SEE IF I CAN BORROW THE MONEY.
>> SMITH SAID HE HAD A $500
ADVANCE FROM HIS EMPLOYER AND
HANDED THE CASH OVER.
IT WAS THE LAST TIME HE SAYS HE
SAW THE MAN WHICH HE ONLY KNEW
BY HIS FIRST NAME.
>> HE CALLED HIMSELF MIKE AT
THE TIME.
>> WE FOUND OUT HIS NAME IS NOT
MIKE.
NEWS 6 RESEARCHED DD AUTO
MECHANIC AND FOUND THAT THE
COUNTY IS OWNED BY LENNY A
TRIANGLE AND THEN WE ARE VERY
FAMILIAR WITH AND A FACE THAT
SMITH IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED.
>> YOU SHOW ME THE PICTURE AND
THAT IS HIM.
>> NEWS 6 STARTED REPORTING ON
HIM BACK IN 2015.
HIS COMPANY THEN WAS ALSO A
MOBILE MECHANICS.
>> HE JUST SHOULD NOT BE IN
COURSE OF A YEAR AND AND A HALF
NUMEROUS PEOPLE CAME FORWARD
TELLING NEWS 6 THAT HE TOOK
THEIR MONEY AND NEVER FIX TO
THEIR VEHICLES.
INCLUDING DAVID.
>> I AM OUT A $7000 CAR.
HE VANDALIZED IT TO THE POINT
WHERE I DON’T EVEN KNOW.
IT IS TOTALED.
>> MANY PEOPLE FILED COMPLAINTS
WITH THE STATE.
THE STATE INVESTIGATED HIM IN
2013 AND 2015 AFTER A NEWS 6
INVESTIGATION.
THE CASES WERE CLOSED BECAUSE
QUOTE THEY COULD NOT FIND PROOF
THE COMPANY WAS OPEN AND
OPERATING.
TWO MONTHS LATER, 19-YEAR-OLD
DAVID MAE CAME FORWARD SAYING
HE WAS RIPPED OFF OR $6500.
>> I THINK HE IS A SCAM.
>> ALAS REPORT A TRIANGLE WAS
IN APRIL 2016.
FOUR MONTHS LATER ACCORDING TO
STATE RECORDS HE STARTED A NEW
COMPANY DJ AUTO MECHANIC AND
THE ONLINE REVIEW SAITO.
ONE PERSON SAID HE PAID $2000
IN CASH THEIR CHECKS AND NEVER
DID THE JOB.
ANOTHER SAID HE CHARGED $4500
ON THEIR CREDIT CARD AND LEFT
HER TRUCK AND PIECES IN THEIR
APARTMENT PARKING LOT.
>> THINGS THAT PUT YOU OUT OF
BUSINESS.
SHOULD BE PUT YOU OUT OF
BUSINESS BECAUSE IT IS FRAUD.
HE IS TAKING PEOPLE’S MONEY NOT
PERFORMING THE SERVICES HE SAID
HE WOULD RENDER.
>> SMITH AND MANY OTHERS
CONTACTED LAW ENFORCEMENT BUT
THEY WERE ALL TOLD IT WAS A
CIVIL MATTER.
I SPOKE TO HIM ON THE PHONE
YESTERDAY AND HE SAID HE WOULD
CONTACT SMITH.
I CONFIRMED HE DID AND TOLD
SMITH HE WOULD SEND HIM A
CHECK.
SMITH DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT
WILL HAPPEN BUT IF IT DOES
HAPPEN I ILL BE SURE TO UPDATE
THE STORY.
>> IT IS SO UPSETTING.
YOU DEPEND ON YOUR
TRANSPORTATION INDEPENDENT
SOMEONE TO FIX IT FOR YOU TO
GET BACK ON THE ROAD.
WELCOME PEOPLE DO WHEN THEY’RE
LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO WORK ON
THEIR CARS?
>> A COUPLE OF THINGS TO BE ON
THE LOOKOUT FOR.
WORST OF ALL THE STATE OF
FLORIDA HAS NO CERTIFICATION
FOR MECHANICS.
THE ROAST REPUTABLE SHOPS
RECORDS ARE MECHANICS TO BE
CERTIFIED BY THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTE FOR AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE EXCELLENCE.
ALSO KNOWN AS ASC.
CERTIFICATION SHOULD BE
PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED AND EVEN
MOBILE MECHANIC SHOULD BE ABLE
TO PRODUCE IT SO THAT IS ONE
THING PEOPLE CAN DO.
THE OTHER THING IS WHEN YOUR
CAR BREAKS DOWN A LOT OF PEOPLE
ARE DESPERATE IN THAT
SITUATION.
SMITH HAD HIS CAR BROKE DOWN
AND HE WAS LIKE I NEED TO GET
TO WORK AND I NEED SOMEBODY
QUICK.
SO A MOBILE MECHANICS IS A GOOD
SERVICE.
BUT WHEN YOU ARE DESPERATE LIKE
THAT, THAT IS WHEN YOU REALLY
NEED TO DO SOME RESEARCH.
AND I’M NOT SAYING YOU NEED TO
ASK FOR THEIR TAX RETURNS.
I AM SAYING GOOGLE.
THIS GOOGLE THE NAME OF THE
COMPANY.
WHEN YOU SEE THOSE REVIEWS PAY
ATTENTION TO THAT BECAUSE OTHER
PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY GONE
THROUGH SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
>> WE’RE TALKING ABOUT BIG
MONEY.
$6500 AND $7000 IN SOME CASES
AND I WAS SURPRISED WHEN YOU
SAID IT’S A CIVIL MATTER.
>> ALL THESE PEOPLE WENT INTO
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE WAY IT
WAS DESCRIBED TO ME.
I TALKED TO ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY AND THEY SAY YOU
WILLINGLY GIVE YOUR VEHICLE
OVER TO SOMEONE.
SO THEY DID NOT STEAL IT.
HE WILLINGLY GAVE IT OVER SO AT
THAT POINT THAT AGENCY SAYS IT
IS A CIVIL MATTER.
BUT JUST DO A LITTLE BIT OF
RESEARCH IN ADVANCE AND JUST
GOOGLE THE NAME OF THE COMPANY
AND GOOGLE THE NAME OF THE
OWNER AND SEE WHAT COMES UP.
AND WHEN YOU SEE THOSE REVIEWS
DEFINITELY PAY ATTENTION TO
THEM.
>> AND IF THEY ARE CERTIFIED
THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.
>> THAT IS A GOOD BAROMETER.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA DOES NOT
REQUIRE A CERTIFICATION BUT A
LOT OF REPUTABLE SHOPS REQUIRED
THEIR MECHANICS TO BE
CERTIFIED.