Corsicana —
The City of Corsicana is auctioning off a variety of used stuff on-line starting sometime in the next two weeks, including a 2006 BMW Z4 Roadster 3.0i that was used in the burglary of a restaurant in August.
The car was seized after Vu Le, 32, of Bossier City, La., didn’t show up in court to protest its loss, according to Police Chief Randy Bratton.
The incident happened in mid–August when someone drove by the Summer Palace restaurant on West Seventh Avenue and noticed the back door ajar and called police. Officers responded and chased down a man dressed in black carrying something down the street.
The suspect had dumped a change separator and some coins in a trash can before fleeing very far. The man was arrested and charged, although he was released on bond.
The same suspect was also charged in the burglary of a Chinese-food restaurant and a church in Athens, and a hair salon in Malakoff. He told Corsicana detectives he was headed to Austin.
The car, which is estimated to be worth about $17,000, is being sold on www.govdeals.com, and the listing should be up on the site within the next two weeks, Bratton said.
Typical listings on the site for vehicles are Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors by the dozens and the occasional Toyota or Mercury that was abandoned and is being sold for parts.
“The owner has the right to appeal the seizure and he didn’t show up in court,” Bratton said.
Several local residents have expressed an interest in buying the car, but they’ll have to go on-line to do it.
“Individuals all over the country can bid on it,” he said. “Anybody can bid on it.”
Det. Michael Dockery processed the vehicle and shepherded it through the district attorney’s office to gain the seizure for the department.
The two-seater doesn’t have a backseat or much trunk space, but it runs like a dream and is a six-speed convertible sports car ideal for fun in the sun, Bratton said.
“It’s a nice car for someone who wants a recreational-type vehicle,” he said. “It’s not practical for police.”
The money will go back into the police department’s budget, not the city’s general budget. It will be used to buy extra equipment or specialized training, things that aren’t included in the normal day-to-day budget of the police department.
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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jjacobs@corsicanadailysun.com. Want to “sound off” to this article? E-mail: Soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com
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Courtesy photo Not something you'll see in your regular, run of the mill police auction - this 2006 BMW Roadster will be sold off along with other seized, forfeited and surplus items in the annual Corsicana Police auction taking place on the Internet.
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BMW part of Corsicana Police auction
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