VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A van used by ESPN Radio 94.1 in Virginia Beach was hotwired and stolen in about a minute late Sunday night.
The 2005 Ford Econolodge had large logos on either side for ESPN Radio 94.1 and is normally parked in the same lot as other station vehicles under the Max Media umbrella.
Joe Amado, Max Media Hampton Roads’ marketing director, came to work Monday morning and immediately noticed the ESPN van was gone.
“Maybe engineering has it at a tower site,” Amado said. “So I didn’t pay it a whole lot of mind. Go in my office, I see the keys are there. I go, ‘That’s weird. Why would the keys be here but the van’s not here?'”
So the team checks their surveillance cameras, and shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday, someone is seen walking through the parking lot messing with car doors.
“They kind of go by van from each one to each one,” Amado said. “From our WAVE vehicle, the Eagle truck, … the ESPN vehicle. Looks in a little bit, kind of grabs the door, jimmies it, pops open. Hops in, and in under a minute, he’s hot wired and he’s gone. … It’s like a bad movie.”
The person on camera wasted little time and got away in seconds. Amado and the others had to stop and wonder — why?
“’05 Ford Econline — where are you going with this,” Amado said. “I mean, the car is not a Maserati. Like, what’s really your end game? What are you going to do with it? It’s covered in giant ESPN logos. You’re going to be seen eventually.”
They call the police and show them the footage.
“The [officer] said, I bet by Wednesday, we will have your vehicle,” Amado said. “And he was absolutely right.”
It was found at an apartment complex in the Lake Edward area Monday night.
“It’s one of those things — now it’s funny,” Amado said. “It wasn’t very funny yesterday. Now we’re like, we got it back. The car is OK for the most part. It happened. It is what it is. Another day in radio.”
Police confirmed the theft, but cannot tell 10 On Your Side anything about the investigation since it is still active. Logos are still on the van, but the steering column and ignition are heavily damaged. Whoever is responsible is still out there.