'My kids are really heartbroken': Calgary dad pleads with thieves who stole colourful car

Stolen car more than just a unique ride The colour of and symbolism behind a car recently stolen in the community of Legacy hold deeper meaning for a Calgary family.

A Calgary dad is pleading to have his modified 1999 Honda Civic returned after it was stolen by thieves in the community of Legacy over the Thanksgiving long weekend.

"It's Sunday morning and my mom came by. She was going to take my kids to Calaway (Park)," Josh Mai said.

"(My kids) asked me where my colourful car was and I said it was out on the street, and we didn't see it out there. I went to look, and it's gone."

Mai says thieves targeted his car between 2 and 3 a.m. Sunday and that it's been spotted across the city multiple times, and even in Langdon.

It was also spotted between two vehicles at the East Hills shopping complex outside the Walmart and Cineplex Odeon earlier this week.

He says RCMP told him it was involved in a high-speed chase but that officers retreated when the driver became reckless and endangered public safety.

The unique car is painted bright colours, has pink rims and was an autism awareness project for two of his three children who live with autism.

He says the colours are like puzzle pieces and the brightness also helps bring a sense of calmness to them.

"My kids are really heartbroken," Mai said.

"A lot of the kids around the community who see it pass by every day, they're really heartbroken because it's part of their daily routine. And when I had my kids grow up, I was going to give them that car."

Mai purchased the manual car last year and retrofitted it with new side panels, turbo and other modified pieces.

"That car was really special because it wasn't just about me, it was about my kids," Mai said.

"It was about them appreciating it in the way that they saw it. So, they didn't just steal from me, they stole from my children."

Under investigation

Mai says he has spoken to Calgary police and the service confirms it is investigating.

"They basically let me know that eventually, the guy would ditch the car and when he does, somebody reports it in a place where it's not supposed to be, we'll go and run the VIN or the licence plate," he said.

Mai would like to see a quicker resolution.

"I think it's a letdown," he said.

"I wish that they would be able to do a little bit more, put a little bit of resources into this."

Police tell CTV News there are dedicated resources trying to find the vehicle.

"In many cases, stolen vehicles are used by criminals to commit other crimes, conceal their identity and evade police," police said in a statement.

"However, we cannot confirm that this is the case with the unique car stolen from the community of Legacy.

"We can confirm that we are actively working to locate the vehicle, and anyone connected to the theft."

Police say stolen vehicles require a large amount of resources to ensure public safety and arrest and charge those responsible.

"Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the car is asked to contact police promptly, as time is of the essence when tracking a stolen vehicle," the statement read.

More than a car

Autism Calgary is a community association group for those who have had a lived experience with autism as a parent or child.

Executive director Lyndon Parakin says bright colours help many living with autism.

"Colours also play a significant role for all human beings in impacting our mood," he said.

"So, it can be strategically used in schools and classrooms and in sensory break areas to create a very deliberate space to create a positive stimulation for relaxation or for giving someone a break from excessive overstimulation."

Parakin says as a father himself with autistic children, he feels Mai's pain of losing something so valuable.

"I'm so moved by how this dad created this project with his children and I think that really speaks to some special efforts he did to create some sort of a relationship with them," Parakin said.

"I'm very sad for him that someone could destroy something that probably is so meaningful, that represents that bond with the children."

In the most updated statistics provided by Calgary police, the first quarter of 2024 saw 1,129 vehicles reported stolen or attempted to have been stolen.

That number is down from the previous two years in the same period, with 2023 seeing 1,302 and 2022 seeing 1,621.