Houston man drops Jeep Wrangler with mechanic, returns to find both vanished
When Juan Agosto dropped off his Jeep Wrangler for service, he expected to get it back in better shape. Instead, it vanished…along with the mechanic he trusted to fix it.
Agosto said he paid Carlos Mireles to repair his Jeep at a shop off Chippewa Boulevard. But after months of excuses and silence, he drove to the location and found it completely empty.
“Once I showed up at his place after he didn’t answer any of my phone calls, everything was gone. He moved shops without telling anyone anything,” Agosto told FOX 26 Houston. “I was really upset at that point. I thought I lost my Jeep. I’ll never see it again.”
According to Harris County police, Mireles wasn’t a licensed mechanic. Investigators say he posed as one and ran a bogus auto repair operation, collecting money from customers but never returning their vehicles. In total, officials say Mireles scammed people out of $40,000 in cars and cash.
“It was a huge scam. He knows what he was doing. He has a history of doing this, and I’m glad he’s behind bars,” said Agosto.
After digging for answers, Agosto discovered someone in Wharton, Texas, was driving his Jeep
He reported the lead to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
“My immediate thought was this guy went ahead and sold my car without my permission,” Agosto said.
Positively, deputies tracked down the Jeep and returned it to Agosto. Police arrested Mireles and charged him with felony theft.
How to spot a fake mechanic
Before handing over your keys to an unfamiliar mechanic:
Verify the business. Check for their presence on BBB and multiple platforms.
Look for a physical address. Be wary of vague locations or mechanics without a traceable shop. Look for formal signage and other indications that they’ve been running a thriving business.
Read online reviews. A lack of reviews or a pattern of complaints can be a red flag.
Ask for paperwork. Legitimate shops provide written estimates, invoices, and receipts. They also collect sales tax. If it’s all verbal, that’s a problem.
Trust your gut. If the place looks sketchy or the mechanic dodges questions, don’t leave your car with them.
