JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville family says after seeing an On Your Side report, they too used a mechanic who did not live up to their expectations.
The driveway of Travis Moore’s home is filled with parts of his car -- it’s been sitting there idle for over a month.
“I can’t afford all this, man," Moore said. "There’s the old engine.”
He went on Facebook looking for someone to fix his Mazda. Moore said he got a message in response to his search from a woman who then referred her partner to him to do the work on the car.
“He said his name was Ricky,” Moore said pointing to a mug shot of a Richard Londress.
Londress has an active warrant for his arrest from Bradford County for a probation violation for grand theft auto, according to court records. Londress is also listed on over a dozen past charges in Jacksonville, including theft, records show.
Moore said Londress worked on his car on at least two occasions, even buying a new engine. Moore said the engine Londress returned with did not fit his vehicle.
“I’ve got a landlord who passes by here and sees this derelict vehicle and who knows,” Moore said.
He added after trying to coordinate with Londress to return and finish the job, he stopped hearing from him.
First Coast News tried the number Moore gave us for the mechanic – getting responses through text message.
Responding to the name, “Ricky,” one message said about the folks contacting our On Your Side team about his work, “One person has a complaint then 10 others act like they were done wrong.”
And in Moore’s case those were “lies,” the message said.
We asked for an interview but never received an answer.
Moore explained he’s out nearly $900 for work he paid for his car to be fixed – to which we received a text reply from the mechanic’s cell phone explaining that he never worked on Moore’s car – rather agreed to just pick up a motor.
Moore adds in the meantime, it’s put his family in a bind.
“This is our only car here, so I wish I had made a better decision on who I got to do the work,” Moore said.