What began as a stolen vehicle report at a motel on July 24 ended up being nothing more than a major miscommunication over a set of tires.

Local police officers responded to the motel around 9:30 PM after a vehicle owner reported his gray 2011 Toyota Camry stolen. According to police reports, the owner had lent the $7,000 sedan to a acquaintance 10 days earlier on July 14, under the agreement that the car would be taken to get its tires replaced. When the vehicle wasn’t returned as expected, the owner feared the worst and called the authorities.

However, when officers questioned the acquaintance at the scene, he offered a very different explanation. He explained that the original set of tires ordered were the wrong size, causing a delay. He claimed he had a verbal agreement with the owner to hold onto the vehicle until a rescheduled appointment on July 24.

More importantly, he pointed out that the Camry hadn’t gone anywhere—it had been sitting in the motel parking lot the entire time.

After reviewing the motel’s security footage, responding officers confirmed the story: the car had never left the premises. The report concluded that no theft had occurred, and the vehicle keys were promptly returned to the owner.

While the driver avoided auto theft charges, his stay at the Executive Inn came to an end. The motel manager used the opportunity to initiate an eviction, giving him 48 hours to vacate the property.