Question regarding vehicle theft

[Ckypros]

My fiance and I live with 2 room-mates, Bob and Ashley .

Bob used to date Ashley's sister and as a result, Ashley would allow Bob to use her car for minor errands since he did not have one. Bob and Ashley's sister broke up, and Ashley stopped allowing Bob to use her car.

Several months later, Bob began dating Ashley's sister again and Ashley's family welcomed him back into the family. A few weeks later, Bob borrowed Ashley's car because he had to run over to where Ashley's sister lived late one night as Ashley's sister did not have car she could use at the moment.

My fiance came home late and noticed Ashley's car and keys were gone and Ashley was in bed asleep in her room, and Bob was not home. They called Bob on his cell and he explained that he borrowed the car and was on his way home as they spoke. Bob had assumed because he was dating Ashley's sister again, it would not be an issue now for him to take the car, but he never did ask.

My fiance really flipped out on him understandably, but she will not let this go. I tell her that this is a life lesson for him (he is only 19) and hopefully he has learned from it. She insists that it is grand theft auto and actually compares the situation to a person breaking into a strangers vehicle in a parking lot and taking it. I tell her that this is a civil issue that she needs to work out and that is all.

My questions are. How would the police handle the situation if the vehicle had yet to be returned (for example, would they apprehend the vehicle?). How would the police handle the situation after the vehicle has been returned? What charges would there be and would a judge actually see the case? I personally think it would be a waste of his time and taxpayer money.

[DeltaV]

There's no way that he would ever be charged with a crime for taking the car as long as he was willing to return it. If he willfully refused to return the car then it would be a different story.

Anytime a stolen vehicle is reported and the keys are also missing it's extremely suspicious. Real car thieves take the car without the keys. The police aren't going to get involved in matters like this. The furthest that an officer might take it is to call up Bob and tell him to immediately return the car.

[mcsap]

I would call Bob and tell him he has ____ hrs to return the car. If he fails to do so I could charge him with Unauthorized Use of a Car which is a lesser form of Auto Theft.

I would then explain that if Bob is EVER allowed to use the car again under ANY circumstances that we would NOT ever take any kind of report again.

[retdetsgt]

First, it's none of your fiance's business, is it? This is between Bob and Ashley.

Secondly, we wouldn't touch it, even for unauthorized use. In a case where there is a history of the car being loaned, it's a he says, she says.

[Ckypros]

Thanks for the replies. I just wanted to make a point to her of how much she is dramatizing the incident.