Owning an exotic car means you are automatically subject to more attention from the general public than the average Joe. After all, that’s kind of the point, right? And while most of the attention you might receive is fairly benign—like someone snapping a photo or saying “daaaaamn” at a stoplight—sometimes a red Italian sports car can call on some less-than-desirable folks. Such is the case of Richard Streep’s Ferrari California, which was recently vandalized by some punk kids thirsty for social media attention, and now some of their parents are on the hook for $6,000, according to KFOX14.
When Streep parked his Prancing Horse outside his parents’ home in El Paso, Texas, he thought it would be safe for the night. The next morning, however, he found scuffs, dents, and other blemishes on the hood and roof of the car. Reports claim that Streep’s family arrived home during the night and saw six to eight people gathering around the car, with a few of them on top of the hood. As soon as the teens caught a glimpse of the homeowners, they jumped in a green Kia Soul and sped away.
After filing a police report, he took his issue to social media, asking locals for help in finding out what happened. Sure enough, a few people recognized the car as well as the troublemakers, and less than 24 hours after his initial post he got a message including the teens’ Instagram profiles. Streep reported his findings to the police, and they eventually got the parties in touch to resolve the issue.
Streep was understandably upset seeing the car he “worked his butt off” for in such sorry shape, and it wasn’t any easier to stomach when he got a call back from the dealership. Ferrari of Scottsdale reportedly quoted him $6,000 to repair the damage, which was all inflicted for a couple of Instagram posts that have surely have been taken down already (but the internet never forgets). At least one of the teen’s parents contacted Streep immediately after seeing the photo and claimed they were willing to cover some of the costs.
If it’s not yours, no touchy-touchy.
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