PASADENA, Texas – A single mother claims she was scammed out of $1,500 while trying to purchase a used car from a Pasadena dealership.
Alicia Butler says that Strawberry Road Auto Sales took her money and refused to refund her when she decided to walk away.
“I was really just looking for a car I could pay for in cash. That’s it,” Butler told KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding. “He goes to start the car, and it doesn’t start.”
Butler says the same issue occurred with several other cars. At that point, the manager pulled her into his office to discuss payment without any car lined up.
“None of the cars worked, so we went back to the office. The accountant came in and said, ‘We have other cars, but the owner wants to make sure we take all the cash.’ She took the cash—$1,500 in twenties—and left. When she came back, she handed me a receipt that only listed the amount, $1,500, with no further details.”
When Butler returned to the dealership to ask for her money back, she was told the money had already been placed in a safe, and only the owner could retrieve it.
“I asked, ‘Can I just get my money back? I don’t feel comfortable with how this went down,’” Butler explained. “She said, ‘It’s already in the safe. We’ll have to wait for the owner to get here.’”
To this day, Butler says she has neither a car nor a refund.
In response, KPRC 2 reporter Gage Goulding and Photojournalist Oscar Chavez went undercover to investigate whether the same scam would happen to them.
Wearing a microphone but without a camera, Goulding was handed the keys to a Jeep, started the engine, and discussed taking the car for a test drive. At that point, he revealed his identity and the purpose of his visit. The salesman then led him into the office to speak with the manager, David Estrada.
The situation quickly escalated.
Without any warning, Estrada grabbed the camera and began pushing. Photojournalist Oscar Chavez was shoved, with arms twisted and elbows thrown. The manager was arrested shortly afterward and charged with two counts of assault.
Also Read:
- Indiana Supreme Court Denies Motion to Stay Execution of Joseph Corcoran
- Texas Bill Seeks to Classify Abortion Pills as Controlled Substances
