Oakland man, 80, is left heartbroken after his beloved $200k vintage Corvette was stolen from his garage - and blames city's progressive DA and mayor for imposing 'no consequences' on criminals

An Oakland man has been left heartbroken after his rare vintage Corvette was stolen from his garage just before his 80th birthday.

Dave Lechthaler, 80, described how a mob of thieves broke into his home on April 15 before riding off with his $200,000 1959 Corvette, which has been his pride and joy for the past 18 years.

Surveillance footage captured the brazen act, showing two suspects breaking into the garage, before running off in the Corvette within a matter of minutes. 

'It's like a stab in the heart,' he told the Fox affiliate KTVU.

He is now pointing fingers at the city's leadership for what he perceives as a lack of accountability for criminals.

Dave Lechthaler, 80, found himself overcome with sadness when a mob of thieves broke into his home on April 15 - before riding off with his prized possession, a 1959 Corvette, which has been his pride and joy for the past 18 years

Lechthaler said he poured his heart and soul into the 200K convertible, dedicating countless hours to its maintenance and upkeep. He also carefully rebuilt the engine, gave the car a fresh coat of paint, and reupholstered it with care

Surveillance footage captured the brazen act, showing two suspects breaking into the garage, before running off in the Corvette within a matter of minutes

'There are no consequences in this city. People can steal and rob,' Lechthaler told KTVU. 

Lechthaler has a strong passion for automobiles, with his home now adorned with photos from his racing days. 

'It hurts because my life, my whole life, has been hot rod cars since I was 14 years old,' he explained. 

Lechthaler said he poured his heart and soul into the convertible, dedicating countless hours to its maintenance and upkeep.

He also carefully rebuilt the engine, gave the car a fresh coat of paint, and reupholstered it.

Lechthaler believes he may have been followed from a car show in Pleasanton, where his prized possession caught the eye of the thieves.

Lechthaler is now pointing fingers at the city's leadership for what he perceives as a lack of accountability for criminals

Lechthaler believes he may have been followed from a car show in Pleasanton, where his prized possession may have caught the eye of the thieves

While the Corvette is insured, the void left by its absence is irreplaceable for Lechthaler

While the Corvette is insured, the loss is irreplaceable for Lechthaler.

His message to the perpetrators is simple: 'I want my car back.'

Figures from January show a shocking one in thirty Oakland residents had their car stolen last year - a total of 15,000 vehicles.

This is a 45 percent increase in just 12 months, and the highest number in 15 years

However, less than five percent of those auto theft cases lead to an arrest, with the California city's understaffed and underfunded police department preoccupied dealing with a 21 percent spike in violent crime.

Last year alone, nearly 15,000 cars were reported stolen in Oakland – a staggering 45 percent increase from 2022, marking the highest number in at least 15 years (Pictured: A scene of an accident after a driver was chased by thieves leading to his car flipping over) 

Masked bandits brazenly raid cars in downtown Oakland in daylight

There are also just two police officers assigned to deal with car theft.

Mary Remington's 2018 Honda Fit, Milan Sanders' 2019 Kia Sorento, and Emily Frazier's 2020 Kia Forte were all ruthlessly swiped away, they told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The city's mayor and DA are both outspoken progressives who have said that police accountability and racial equity are a priority.

But fed-up locals have pleaded with them to make the Bay Area city safer.

In October, even Oakland's District Attorney Pamela Price had her work laptop stolen during a car smash-and-grab outside a family justice center in broad daylight. 

The city's mayor and DA are both outspoken progressives who have both said that police accountability and racial equity are a priority, but fed-up locals have pleaded with them to make the Bay Area city safer. Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (pictured)

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (pictured)

This comes as the campaign to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, also known as Save Alameda for Everyone (SAFE), ramps up. The recall effort was initiated in 2023.

The epicenter of this surge lies in Uptown and North Oakland, which witnessed a shocking 69 percent spike in car thefts, according to data from the Police Department and the state.

The Chronicle revealed several reasons experts give for the growing crisis plaguing the city.

One major factor is a lack of basic anti-theft technology in popular Kia and Hyundai models, exacerbated by a viral social media challenge encouraging thieves to target these specific cars, according to the Chronicle.

Additionally, tight police resources are reportedly being directed towards higher-priority crimes.