Elderly man steals, sells cars to salvage yard in Norfolk

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — An elderly man will now serve more than a year in Norfolk prison after stealing cars and selling them to a salvage yard, a release states. One victim’s car was crushed, along with the belongings of her deceased son.

71-year-old Samuel Baker was sentenced on Thursday to serve one year and two months for committing four auto thefts and possessing a burglarious tool when he illegally towed and sold multiple Norfolk residents’ cars between 2022 and 2023.

Baker would primarily target older cars parked on public streets. He then took them to a salvage yard and claimed he was the owner in order to sell them.

He was caught after one of the stolen vehicles’ license plate was picked up on a FLOCK alert as it was being towed, giving police a lead on Baker. After identifying Baker as the suspect in several thefts, he was arrested in his Virginia Beach home. His tow truck was parked outside with another stolen vehicle hitched onto it.

Two victims’ cars had already been crushed, and two other victims were able to retrieve their cars from the salvage yard. One of the victims whose car was crushed reported that she had kept her deceased son’s belongings in the car for storage and suffered emotional loss.

Baker was charged in each theft with possessing a burglarious tool (the tow truck) and either grand larceny of an automobile or petit larceny. Baker pleaded not guilty to his charges in June 2024 and chose to be tried by a judge.

Following a bench trial, Baker was found guilty of three counts of grand larceny of an automobile, one count of petit larceny, and one count of possessing a burglarious tool.

On Oct. 10, Hall sentenced Baker to serve one year and two months in prison and suspended another four years and 10 months on the conditions that he pay restitution to the victims whose cars were crushed and complete three years of uniform good behavior.

“Tow trucks are essential and even lifesaving tools when used right,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Baker used his tow truck to hurt other people, stealing their property, which, even if not worth a lot of money, was of immense value to its owners. Despite his age, Mr. Baker has earned his felony convictions and his prison sentence. I hope that Mr. Baker repents of his actions and does no further harm to the people of our community.”

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