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Dealer Helps Teen Who Vandalized Store | DrivingSales News

Teens Vandalize Dealership, Dealer Responds By Helping Them

December 2, 2014 3 Comments

It could have just been another headline and no one would have known the difference. It would have just been another story about dealership vandalism, however, the good people at Schulte Subaru had other, more caring plans.

On Thursday October 16, around 8 p.m., two young boys trespassed onto the lot of Schulte Subaru and began jumping on cars. The two young men jumped on enough vehicles and caused enough dents to do $25,000 worth of damage. A witness saw the damage taking place and the dealership security cameras clearly caught the damage being done. Most would expect this story to end with charges and a booking at the local police department, however, that’s not what happened.

When police identified the two young men involved, they came to Mike Schulte, the owner of the store and told him the two boys were only 10 and 14, respectively. Neither of the boys had a criminal record. The 14-year-old was apparently very remorseful about his actions. Neither boy nor his family could afford to pay for the $25,000 worth of damages. It was also discovered the 14-year-old lived with his mother in meager conditions lacking basic essentials. At 14, the young man walked 3 miles to school and back daily. Schulte described hearing about the teen’s situation as “heartbreaking.”

The staff at Schulte Subaru decided to take action and show kindness in lieu of anger. The dealership staff helped the teen and his mom find a better place to live and helped the 14-year-old get a bus pass to make getting to school much easier. In return for the help, the boy offered to come to the store after school and on weekends to offer help. Schulte told the Argus Leader publication, “He actually asked…if he could come down and help us out. You wouldn’t know it’s the same kid (who committed the crime). You can just see the difference.”

The dealership plans to assist the boy until he graduates from high school. Schulte told Argus Leader, “This is the moment when the kid looks back and says ‘This is when someone cared about me.’ ”

This store certainly belongs in the category of dealers doing good in their communities. What do you think of this dealership deciding instead of pressing charges against the struggling families and their sons, to reach out and help at least one of them? Have you ever heard of another dealer doing something similar in the wake of a crime against their store?

About the Author:

The DrivingSales News team is dedicated to breaking the relevant and the tough stories affecting car dealers. Have questions for DrivingSales News? Reach the team at news@drivingsales.com.

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    Just awesome. What a wonderful gesture. Thanks for sharing with the community!

    Susan

    Bravo Schulte! This really warms my heart.

    That is a terrific story! Kudos to that ownership and those employees for taking such a bad situation for ALL involved and making it into something to help the kids and their community even. Bet those two young men are Subaru buyers for life when they get older!