A Houston Army veteran says a mechanic took thousands of dollars from him and never finished the job. In fact, the tech picked the vehicle up last year to repair it…and wouldn’t return the car.

Darwin Blanco found the mechanic on Facebook Marketplace while looking for someone to fix his Land Rover. At first, everything seemed fine. The mechanic communicated well, answered texts, and gave Blanco confidence that service was on track.

Things quickly unraveled. Between February and April of 2024, Blanco kept making payments for parts and labor, but his car never came back. “Frustration is an understatement,” Blanco said. Blanco’s notes on the service reflect nine payments totalling nearly $9,000.

By October 2024, Blanco had enough. He filed a stolen vehicle report with Houston police. Officers told him to go through the auto theft division to start the 10-day demand letter process. This legal step attempts to convince a person to return a vehicle before escalating to court.

The mechanic hasn’t faced charges, so his name remains undisclosed. Blanco, who gave the guy the benefit of the doubt from the start, admitted, “One of my biggest problems is I give people trust before service.”

After Blanco reported the car missing, the mechanic cut off contact. Local news station KPRC 2 tried calling him but got hung up on. A follow-up text got a vague response: “i’ll contact him to resolve this thank you buddy.”

Then, an unexpected twist: The mechanic sent Blanco $500 via Cash App and promised to send another $500 every Saturday until paying off the debt. He also agreed to return the Land Rover. But Blanco wasn’t buying it. He told Balogun he didn’t want a payment plan…he wanted his full investment back immediately.

The Better Business Bureau warns against deals that seem too good to be true. Always meet sellers in person, verify the service, and avoid high-pressure transactions. If a mechanic insists on cash-only deals without a contract, it might be best to just walk away.