Man claims local mechanic abandoned and stripped his car in Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A local man is coming forward with his story after he claims the mechanic he trusted not only abandoned his car but stripped it, too.

"I really trusted the guy, that's my downfall," said Manuel Rodriguez.

Cut wires, missing car parts and the mechanic nowhere to be seen. Rodriguez said he hired a mechanic from the city's north-side to fix his motor. A family friend had worked on his car before, but this time around he claims it was different.

"He ripped all the parts apart and I feel bad," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez said he bailed. The mechanic abandoned his car near a meat market shortly before leaving the location he was renting and using as a body shop.

Any attempt to reach him has failed.

"He left me with the trash vehicles here and just trash," said Jonathan Downey.

Downey told Eyewitness News that he kicked out the mechanic from his property because he owed more than $7,000 in rent. Downey said a couple cars remain and he has no idea who they belong to. He's now having to clean up the mess the mechanic left behind.

"He ripped the motor apart, he did tear my seats in the back he did take some wires," said Rodriguez. "So basically you can't move the car."

Rodriguez is considering legal action.

"Hopefully he will make contact with me now," he said. "We're going to press charges against him."

Eyewitness News is not naming the mechanic because there is no charges against him as of yet. He did eventually reach out to Eyewitness News to give his side of the story. The mechanic claims he did not strip the car down and instead is placing the blame on the owner of the property.