Thief Steals Restored Car, Crashes It

GLENDALE - A restored 1969 Mustang with the keys in the ignition -- a tempting sight for a thief. The owner just ran inside for a minute, but it was long enough for Brian Link to crash the rebuilt car into a brick fence.

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It was stolen right out of the garage, says Glendale man Mike Gomez. "I looked out at the garage. I couldn't believe it. I ran after my car." Gomez chased his souped up Mustang Mach One down the street, when he lost his footing.

"He ran over me, luckily he didn't kill me," says Gomez. But, his foot is broken and he got a severe case of road rash.

The suspect totaled the car, and now, Link is facing charges of aggravated assault, burglary, endangerment and theft. Police think he had been eyeing the car for a while until he finally got a chance to steal it.

Now, three years of hard work and thousands of dollars in repairs -- wiped out. Unfortunately, Gomez hadn't insured the car.

"Mike can't even bear to look at the damage he restored. From the ground up, spent three years just putting it together," says his wife Sherri.