Woman thanks thieves for her 'pimped out' car

Pat McGonigle | KSDK-TV, St. Louis

Show Caption Hide Caption Woman's stolen car comes back all pimped out Thanks to a Good Samaritan, a Missouri woman got her stolen car back on April Fools' Day after thieves drove it away and pimped it out.

ST. CHARLES, Mo. — When Becky Schoenig's car was stolen from her driveway Monday, she didn't think it was gone for good.

But when the 2015 Ford Fusion was returned Wednesday, it had a different vibe. The staid black hybrid had a new red stripe on the side and some snazzy red wheel covers.

"I want to thank the car thieves for pimping out my vehicle for me. ... This thing is pimpin' now!!!" she wrote on her Facebook page.

Schoenig said she has an unshakable belief that by and large people are good. If you send happiness out into the world — or on Facebook — she feels that the positive karma will back come to you.

"She's a very special person," said her friend, Marlene Trice. "She is vibrant and happy and really loves making people laugh."

Those positive vibes reached Mick Sexton in St. Louis. He recognized Schoenig's stolen car Tuesday night after a mutual friend posted a picture of it on Facebook.

Sexton called police and the Fusion, upgrades and all, came back to Schoenig on Wednesday. April Fools' Day.

Schoenig, who lives about 20 miles away in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles, Mo., admits the episode wasn't all "lollipops and rainbows." Her car did reek of cigarette and marijuana smoke. She's getting it professionally cleaned.

But Schoenig also is creating a new Smoothie at her Kirkwood, Mo. restaurant in honor of her new hero, Sexton. The Sexton on Wheels smoothie is a tasty combination of banana, pineapple, peach and coconut cream.

"Life is good all the time, and it's full of good people," she said.