No theft charges filed after St. Pete man's vintage car stolen, suspect accused of using fake documents

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A St. Petersburg man is searching for answers after his car was stolen while he was away for work.

What we know:

Leon Goins said he was the proud owner of a vintage car for the last 20 years.

Recently, Goins was working to restore his vehicle to driving conditions, so it was parked outside of his garage.

"A vintage 1977 Buick Electra that I had parked here at my garage with a car cover on it, backed in, as you see… the Jeep was removed without my permission and sold to a scrapyard," Goins said.

The backstory:

Goins' car was swiped from under his nose.

"A 1977 Buick Electra, original condition that I've owned for over 20 years," Goins said. "The sentimental value."

Goins said someone provided false documents to a tow truck company saying they owned the car, so a tow truck took his Buick and delivered it to a scrap metal yard where it was sold.

"They told me I could take back my car once I arrived and that there would be a few dents and dings to it," Goins said. "But when I arrived, it had no wheels and had been totaled."

Dig deeper:

The person accused in this case is now facing a felony charge for falsifying documents, but not theft.

Goins still does not understand.

Charles Gallagher is an attorney at Gallagher & Associates Law Firm. He said there is still time for the charges to change with more investigation.

What they're saying:

"I think once you have those facts nailed down, that's sufficient for a theft charge, and for a prosecution for theft," Gallagher said.

As for the tow truck company and scrapyard, Gallagher said they could be liable for not verifying the ownership of the car.

"Everyone's got a duty of care, whether it be a tow yard, whether it be a tow truck driver, whether there be a scrapyard," Gallagher said. "And when you think people are not meeting that duty of care, pump the brakes, think twice, and see whether or not there might be a basis for some liability against those actors."

Goins said this happened to a neighbor's family member, and they stopped it.

Why you should care:

Goins wants people to know that this is a real problem.

"I really just wanted to make the public aware that this is a common occurrence," Goins said.

What we don't know:

FOX 13 reached out to the state attorney's office to ask why theft charges haven't been filed, and if the investigation is ongoing. We are waiting to hear back.