(La Porte County, IN) - An antique vehicle was stolen in La Porte County, driven in a snowstorm, and abandoned in South Bend.

 

Charges have now been filed in the case, which sees Wendy Hutson, 50, accused of driving a 1955 Chevy pick-up from her ex-boyfriend’s garage in Kingsbury following a break-up in their relationship. Authorities also note that snow and sleet were falling while she was driving it after the theft in late January.

 

The red pick-up is now back in the garage of owner David Meals, who notes that there were a few things wrong with the truck, like an oil leak and the clutch slipping, when it was returned to him.

 

“The truck was driven in the salt so there’s rust developing on the truck now,” he said.

 

Meals said the truck was in pretty good shape when he bought two years ago but, needed some restoration which he performed himself. He said he bought and restored the truck to remember his son, who died at the age of 21 in a head-on motor vehicle collision caused by another driver in Pennsylvania.

 

“That '55, '56, and '57 Chevy pick-ups was his favorite out of all vehicles. I built the truck mainly as a memorial to him,” he said.

 

According to police, it’s believed she used a set of keys to the truck to steal it.

 

Hutson could face anywhere from a one to six-year sentence on a Level 5 felony theft charge.

 

The truck has an estimated value of $50,000