Neighbors perplexed and frustrated by half-car dumped in Princeton Heights
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - You could hardly call a hunk of metal on wheels left in a Princeton Heights neighborhood a car at this point.
The rear portion of what may have at one time been a silver Toyota appeared near Moellenhoff and Blow on Monday afternoon near Treasure Parsons’ house.
“I don’t know how it’s there, how it got dropped off,” Parsons said.
Neighbors shared security footage with First Alert 4 showing men in a green pickup hauling the back end of the car up to a dumpster in a neighborhood alley, then driving off.
A group of them had worked together to push it into the street and called the Citizens’ Service Bureau to have it towed.
The city put a tow notice on the car for Friday, May 2. Parsons and others were frustrated to have to wait until the end of the week.
“It’s unfortunate, especially that our neighbors had to push it out. It’s been tagged but not being picked up until Friday,” Parsons said.
Another neighbor notified First Alert 4 on Thursday afternoon that the car had been hauled off by scrappers.
Earlier this week, Mayor Cara Spencer acknowledged ongoing issues with the city’s tow lot, specifically a recent audit that found an $80,000 cash shortfall in the division. The audit also named several serious issues with recordkeeping.
Spencer said that improving the department’s responsiveness would be a priority.
“I think having a well-oiled machine in our tow department is important to the city. Being able to remove derelict vehicles off streets is vital to public safety,” Spencer said.
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