Valet Caught Taking Customer Car on Joyride

2 May 2012

Have you ever had the sneaky suspicion that when you handed over your car keys to the valet parking attendant, that maybe…just maybe…he took your wheels for a joyride? And if your car is an exotic and flashy sports car…well, then it may be all the more likely that your car took a detour on its when to its intended parking spot.

It turns out that this is exactly what happened in a Port Canaveral cruise shuttle passenger discount parking lot. WFTV Eyewitness News out of Florida received a tip that Jay Nieves, owner of Premier Parking Spot in Cocoa, had a habit of not only taking a customer’s car key, but taking their car for a joyride too.

To investigate, the Orlando TV station’s Jeff Deal baited a $60,000 2012 red Corvette with a GPS tracker device. He then had a couple drop off the shiny, red Corvette at Premier Parking Spot — before they were shuttled off to their cruise ship port for vacation.

Sure enough — within six hours — the investigation team received a text message that the car was in motion. But the car wasn’t just being moved to another parking spot.

Rather, with the help of the real-time GPS tracking system, a camera captured video of owner Nieves and another one of his employees joyriding in the corvette. The car was seen peeling out on dirt roads, taken to Ace hardware, and even parked overnight in the owner of Premier Parking Spot’s home. The Corvette was loaded with lumber and even was seen with a dog running around in the car.

“That’s when we captured video of Nieves and another employee joyriding in our car. They were peeling out on dirt roads,” according to the news report. “We saw them taking pictures of the Corvette in front of Nieves’ home. Later that night we saw them cruising on Merritt Island, and eventually parking the car at an Applebee’s restaurant.”

All-in-all, the GPS tracking data showed the Corvette had been driven a total of 61 miles after it was dropped off at Premier Parking Spot.

In the end, Deal confronted Nieves and the conversation went like this: “You’re going to say you weren’t driving the car? Tell me the truth. Be honest with me,” Deal said to Nieves. “You’re completely wrong,” said Nieves.

Check out the fire-red, 420-horsepower Corvette and video clip of the joyride and investigation here.

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About George Karonis

George Karonis is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LiveViewGPS Inc., a company he established in 2008 with the vision of making real-time GPS tracking more reliable, affordable, and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as an innovator in GPS tracking, fleet management, asset monitoring, and Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) communications. Under George's leadership, LiveViewGPS has grown into a nationally recognized provider of GPS tracking solutions, serving businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement organizations, and public works departments throughout the United States. The company's technology helps organizations improve operational efficiency, protect valuable assets, increase driver safety, and reduce operating costs through real-time location intelligence. Before founding LiveViewGPS, George developed a background in security, surveillance, and emerging location technologies. His passion for innovation and practical problem solving has driven the development of products that combine dependable hardware with easy-to-use cloud software, giving customers actionable information when it matters most. In 2018, George expanded into nationwide Push-to-Talk over Cellular communications by launching PeakPTT, providing businesses with rugged, instant communication solutions that operate over LTE and Wi-Fi networks. His focus has remained the same throughout his career: delivering dependable technology backed by exceptional customer service and long-term customer relationships. George regularly writes about GPS tracking, fleet management, asset protection, business technology, and communication systems. Through this blog, he shares industry insights, practical advice, and emerging trends to help organizations make informed decisions about tracking technology and connected operations.