"Fake" valet driver steals car in downtown Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Bhoumin Mehta wants answers. At 7 a.m. Monday, he went through his usual routine and pulled up in front of the Rice Apartments on Texas Avenue in downtown.

"I saw a guy standing at the podium, so I gave him my key. He pulled the left drawer and got the ticket. He took it upon my part and gave me the ticket, and I went to the office," he explained.

When Mehta came to retrieve his 2011 Toyota Camry after work, it wasn't there. The property manager told him someone posing as a valet stole his car, and a police report had already been filed.

"Apparently the person who was the employee of valet parking went to the restroom or went for coffee and apparently this guy knew the drawer was open and took advantage," Mehta continued.

Mehta says he'd like the apartments or the valet company to be responsible for the car he thought he entrusted to them, but so far: nothing.

"They said that they can't do anything about it. You have to take it up with your insurance company or whatever you want to do. No help at all."

In a statement, The Rice Apartments said:

"We are looking into the incident with the valet company and cooperating with the police investigation."

We called Waves Valet, the company Rice contracts with, and the owner told us he didn't have a comment. HPD is actively investigating, but have no leads at this point.

As for Mehta, he plans to re-think parking options from here on out.

"I think I'm going to not be doing valet. I'm going to do self-parking because this is very scary."