The incident occurred at Car Vision in Lower Providence.
A Delaware man has been charged with felony attempted theft by unlawful taking, felony criminal attempt, and misdemeanor defiant trespassing of an enclosed after Lower Providence Township Police allege he tried to steal a repossessed Tesla from Car Vision’s locked lot.
Ryan Scott Holzbaur, 42, of the unit block of Jamestowne Drive, Bear, DE, was arrested outside the Car Vision at 950 Rittenhouse Road in Lower Providence the evening of July 23, according to a criminal complaint.
Police responded to Car Vision at 7:41 p.m. to meet with Holzbaur, who told police his Tesla was stolen and he wanted police assistance to get it back, according to the complaint. Holzbaur was standing near his Ford E250 van outside a locked fence.
Holzbaur told police his 2016 Tesla was “inappropriately repossessed” by Car Vision and that he owned it outright, according to the complaint. The Tesla was found at an unusual angle close to the exit gate, police said, and the driver’s side door was wide open. All other vehicle on the lot were parked in a traditional car lot fashion, police said.
When asked why the Tesla was parked where it was and how the door got opened, Holzbaur replied he found it that way and that he used his app to open the door, police said.
Police said the VIN on the Tesla showed the owner as Car Vision, police said, and Holzbaur did not have a title confirming that he was the legal owner.
Police told Holzbaur that nothing could be done to help him until contact was made with Car Vision, per the affidavit. Holzbaur, police said, was informed he was not allowed to enter the fenced off area or he would be charged with trespassing.
Holzbaur was told to leave and someone would follow up with him in the morning. Police said Holzbaur attempted to leave, but got out of his van and told police, “I can’t leave. I think I dropped my van keys in the Tesla.”
Police arrested Holzbaur for trespassing, and he continued to make comments and blurted out that if he wanted to, he could have driven off with the Tesla instead of moving it, per the complaint.
Holzbaur, police allege, admitted to driving the Tesla out of its parking spot to reclaim his property, but stopped because he could not get out of the locked gate.
A Car Vision manager told police that he was aware of Holzbaur and the Tesla situation.
Police said the car was never transferred to Holzbaur because he never returned to Car Vision to complete the change of title and sales transaction, and thus, the Tesla was repossessed.
Car Vision also told police it wanted to file charges against Holzbaur, per the complaint.
Holzbaur is free on $5,000 unsecured bail, as of his July 24 arraignment, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6 at 1 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
