PASADENA, Texas – After nearly three weeks, a single mother allegedly swindled out of a deposit on a used car finally has her money back.
Alicia Butler, 23, just moved to the Houston area. She needed a new vehicle, so she searched online, eventually coming across Strawberry Road Auto Sales in Pasadena.
On November 26, she visited the used car lot looking to drive away with a vehicle.
When the dealership counted her $1,500, they came back with a receipt, but no keys. She ended up leaving that day without a vehicle and claims the car lot wouldn’t return her money.
She asked the Click2Houston.com Help Desk for help getting her money back.
When KPRC 2′s Gage Goulding and Photojournalist Oscar Chavez arrived to ask questions on Thursday, the car lot manager, David Estrada, assaulted them.
He was arrested, where it was later learned that a warrant for his arrest was filed less than 24 hours earlier. Court documents say he scammed Fred Haas Nissan out of nearly $145,000.
Meanwhile, a dozen lawsuits have been filed against Strawberry Road Auto Sales and their sister car lot, Koncept Motor Cars.
“I told y’all that this wasn’t over,” Alicia Butler said, recalling her conversation with Estrada.
It wasn’t until after KPRC 2 started asking questions that the office manager called, eager to return her money.
Alicia Butler: “She was ready to give me my money. She was like, Please, can you send me the address of where I can send you your check?”
Gage Goulding: “Does it seem weird that it took all of this just for you to get your money back?”
Alicia Butler: ”It does. Like, why did I have to go through the news to get my money back? Why couldn’t you all just do this where y’all are doing now?”
The office manager told Butler she was overnighting a check. That mail arrived on Saturday.
Alicia wanted to open it with KPRC 2′s Gage Goulding.
Alica Butler: “Yup. There it is.”
Gage Goulding: “All of it.”
Alica Butler: “All of it.”
Gage Goulding: “I see that smile on your face. What is it? What does it mean to be holding that check with your money?”
Alica Butler: “It feels like a victory. Like I finally accomplished this after waiting and just trying and crying. Honestly, crying and trying to figure out what I was going to do when all I had to do was call the KPRC News.”
While the fight for her money is over, the battle isn’t done yet.
There’s those who filed lawsuits and even more who filed complaints wit the Better Business Bureau, who are all still fighting the used car lot.
“I want to make sure that they get closed out, because what can you all say? Y’all can’t lie anymore.”
KPRC 2 spoke with an attorney representing the car lot and its owners. They would not provide a comment.
