"I advertised my car in The Gleaner and I got a call on Sunday. The man identified himself as 'Mr Douglas'," she said. "He said he was interested ... we agreed to have him look at it on Monday."

Test drive

Charlene said upon meeting with Douglas, he took the vehicle for a test drive. She and her cousin accompanied him. She said Douglas insisted that the car be examined by a mechanic, located off Beechwood Avenue. That examination, she said, was scheduled for the following day, Tuesday.

"I picked him up the Tuesday and we went to the mechanic. I left my cousin in the car outside and Douglas and I went inside to talk with the mechanic. Douglas got a call on his phone and I heard him say 'I'll be there shortly'," Charlene said.

She said when she went outside shortly after, she saw her cousin standing on the sidewalk.

Her yellow Honda Fit motor car, registered 3217 ED, was missing. "When I asked my cousin where my car was he told me that Douglas told him that I said he should reverse the vehicle," she said. "So my cousin got out of the car to direct him."

Only laughed

Charlene* immediately called the con man, telling him to bring back the vehicle, but he only laughed. The Cross Roads police said that the matter was being investigated.

Charlene estimates him to be about 58, 5' 9" and 170 lb. He sports a grey, low-cut hair and yellow-looking teeth.

"I want to warn people out there because I saw him with a list of cars. He told me that they were just vehicles that he was interested in buying, but now that he stole my car, I think those are vehicles he has either stolen or intends to steal," Charlene said.

*Name changed