This browser does not support the Video element.
App helps Phoenix woman find her stolen SUV
A circus artist is searching for her stolen performing gear after her vehicle was stolen from her apartment gym. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi has more on the bizarre items the thief left behind.
PHOENIX - A Phoenix professional circus artist recovered her stolen car Monday using its tracking app, but some of her valuable performance equipment remains missing.
What we know:
Tessa Gurley said she was working out in her apartment gym over the weekend when she noticed a man behaving strangely. About an hour later, she realized her keys were missing and went to check on her vehicle.
"I went to go try to find my keys, and they were just, like, gone," Gurley said. "Which was really weird, because I was the only one in the gym. And then I just got this feeling, I was like, I need to go check on my car. The Lord told me, you need to check on your car. So I went downstairs, and my car was gone."
Tracking her BMW:
Gurley used the BMW app to locate her vehicle at a shopping center about 10 minutes away. She then called the police.
"I was like, oh my gosh, like I think this guy's on a shopping spree. Like we need to get down there right now," she said.
Missing Items:
Police identified the stolen car as a 2020 white BMW X5. Although Gurley got her car back, some of her circus and fire-performing equipment was missing. She relies on the vehicle to travel to performances and transport her gear.
"And all of my gear was in the back of the car. It's missing," Gurley said. "So if anybody sees a Lollipop Lyra from X-Pole or any fire performing gear, that's probably mine."
New, Unknown Items:
Gurley said the vehicle also contained belongings that did not belong to her, including a hot dog costume, drugs, plants and rugs.
"They're like, is this yours? I was like, no, no it's not," she said.
What we don't know:
The suspect has not been caught, according to Gurley.
What you can do:
She thanked Phoenix Police for helping recover her vehicle and is asking the community to watch for her missing equipment, including listings on Facebook Marketplace.
"I do wanna find my gear, so if anybody does have, you know, on Facebook Marketplace, if you guys see an X-Pole Lollipop Lyra for sale, that's probably mine, and just let me know," Gurley said. "Notify me so we can find this guy."
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Tessa Gurley, professional circus artist; the Phoenix Police Department; FOX 10 Photojournalist Rick Davis; and FOX 10 reporter Jacob Luthi.