Illinois household could not get GPS information for carjacked car with son inside until they paid a price: lawsuit

LIBERTYVILLE, In poor health. – A terrifying carjacking and kidnapping in Libertyville earlier this yr was made even worse when the carmaker refused to supply GPS monitoring data to police.

Now, the household that survived the harrowing ordeal is submitting a lawsuit towards Volkswagen, alleging its failure to assist on this life-or-death drama has left them traumatized.

Taylor Shepherd, the carjacking sufferer, had simply returned to her residence in Libertyville final February when one other automotive all of a sudden pulled into her driveway, and a masked man jumped behind the wheel of her Volkswagen Atlas. Her two-year-old son, Isaiah, was nonetheless strapped into his automotive seat within the again.

“Instantly my coronary heart simply dropped into my abdomen, and I ran to the automotive as quick as I might,” remembered Shepherd. When she tried to cease the carjacking, the carjackers ran proper over her.

“They ran over the complete left aspect of my physique. There have been tire tracks all around the left aspect of my abdomen,” stated Shepherd.

With a badly damaged pelvis and 6 months pregnant, Shepherd crawled down the driveway and referred to as 911.

“They stated, ‘Do you’ve the app in your telephone by way of Volkswagen?’ And I stated, ‘Sure, I’ve that.'”

That is the Volkswagen Automobile-Web app, which permits customers to trace their automotive and even flip off the engine remotely. However when Lake County Sheriff’s deputies referred to as Volkswagen and defined the kidnapping, the consultant stated Taylor’s service had expired and refused to supply the GPS data until they acquired $150.

“Worst nightmare you can ever think about,” stated Gregory Kovtelidakis, Isaiah’s father. “Simply figuring out that your child’s gone and you may’t actually do something about it. And figuring out that these individuals on the opposite aspect of the telephone which might be able to doing one thing about it…they usually’re simply telling you no.”

Ultimately, Shepherd’s father gave the Volkswagen consultant a bank card and paid the invoice to unlock the knowledge. However by then, Isaiah had been discovered wandering close to a car parking zone in Waukegan, and the stolen automotive was discovered deserted a couple of miles away.

Now the household is suing Volkswagen and the Automobile-Web service, saying it will probably’t occur to a different household.

“It is $150,” stated lawyer Gerald Bekkeman, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the household. “It shocks the conscience to listen to that anyone might refuse to show over data on a kidnapped little one for a $150 subscription renewal.”

Taylor later gave delivery to a wholesome child boy—now 4 months outdated—however says the ordeal has left a scar on the household, particularly Isaiah.

“He has evening terrors, nightmares. So we’re all in remedy.”

FOX 32 has reached out to Volkswagen for a response to the lawsuit.