Ventura – As if having a car customized wasn’t expensive enough, imagine the frustration of 41-year-old Colorado resident William Kent, who—after months of hassle and negotiation with the owner of Ventura’s Endless Customz, Robert Kalstrom, 47 and a resident of Ventura—not only could not recover the fees he’d paid for work on his car, but couldn’t even find his car.
When Kent’s entreaties to Kalstrom for the return of his vehicle went unanswered, according to Ventura Police Department Detective A. Vasquez, he made a call to the VPD “to report fraudulent activity” on the part of Kalstrom. Kent reported to detectives that he had left his car at Endless Customz for repair, but that Kalstrom had summarily sold a number of parts off the vehicle and ultimately sold the car itself—all without Kent’s knowledge or permission.
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It was at that point that VPD Major Crimes investigators made contact with Kalstrom and began tracing the recent DMV sales records of the vehicle. Pursuant to their investigation, it was “determined that Kalstrom committed fraud and grand theft” to the tune of $20,000. In an apparent effort to evade responsibility or contact with law enforcement’s ongoing investigation, Kalstrom reportedly moved his auto restoration business from one location to another.
That effort apparently failed to work very well, as Kalstrom was contacted at his new place of business on September 2nd, taken into custody, and arrested without incident. He was then transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on a charge of grand theft. Suspecting there may be additional victims, Vasquez urges “anyone who believes they have been victimized” by Kalstrom to contact VPD directly at (805) 339-4413.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
