By Jill Harmacinski
The Eagle-Tribune
LAWRENCE, Mass. — A city firefighter who was among honor guard members in Monday’s 9/11 remembrance ceremony had his SUV stolen moments later while he was unloading his gear at a city firehouse, he said.
Firefighter Jean Jimenez, 31, got a call from Rhode Island State Police on Tuesday morning after they located his light blue 2007 Honda CRV and arrested the person driving the vehicle after a traffic stop, he said.
“My whole life was in the car ... I literally could not believe this was happening to me,” Jimenez said.
Jimenez said he planned to go to Rhode Island on Wednesday morning to pick up the CRV and see what was left inside.
His Class A uniform, which he wore at the 9/11 ceremony outside the Ladder 4 firehouse on South Broadway, was in the car, along with other items used by the honor guard.
“The guy probably got poked in the face by the American flag,” Jimenez said of the car thief, commenting on items he had in the car.
Jimenez said he’d gone to the Engine 8 firehouse at 309 Ames St. late Monday morning to drop off work items including his bunker gear and helmet. He parked his SUV right outside the firehouse garage and left it running while he was running items in to his locker.
“All of a sudden I heard the car door close and the car take off. I thought it was a joke,” he said. “Then I looked down the street and saw it wasn’t coming back.”
Items left inside the car included his wallet and cell phone.
Using the “Find my iPhone feature,” Jimenez later found his iPhone damaged and tossed on the side of the Interstate 93.
Jimenez reported the CRV stolen to Lawrence police. Officers canvassed the area after the theft was reported.
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