Multiple businesses in the Sioux Empire are coming to a teen’s aid after his car was significantly vandalized.
The teen posted what happened on Facebook, and it caught the eyes of many.
But it was more than just the vandalism that got people to help; the car has unique, sentimental value.
From across the street, you can’t tell that this Chevy Impala has any major damage.
But get a little closer, and the scraped paint is clear as day.
“Besides the spray paint, they used an aerosol aircraft stripper on it,” says Matt Juhl with Mark Juhl Auto Sports and Services Center.
Profanities and squiggly lines covered the car from the taillights to a spray painted windshield.
“I just felt the urge that he needed help and I wanted to be the one to help him,” says Juhl.
The owner of the car, Ezra Hall, posted about what happened on Facebook and started a GoFundMe account to help with repair expenses.
One detail in the story caught the attention of the service manager at Mark Juhl Auto Sports and Service Center, the car belonged to the teen’s aunt before she passed away from pancreatic cancer in November.
“It motivated me to help a family,” says Juhl.
Normally, repairs needed would’ve cost the teen upwards of $600.
Matt Juhl and his team spent four hours fixing the car, for free.
“There was significant damage to the paint,” says Juhl. “As far as removing the spray paint, it wasn’t the most difficult part. Trying to get some spots to blend out in the touch up paint was the more difficult part.”
The aerosol stripped the paint down to the metal on some parts of the car.
So the car will need a full body paint to get it back in the original condition.
Juhl says he’s never seen a car vandalized this bad before, which is why he wanted to lend a helping hand.
“It takes somebody to step up and help them out and show them there are still good people in the world today,” he says.
The Sioux Falls auto shop wasn’t the only business to help out.
Nordstrom’s Auto in Garretson donated a side mirror that was knocked down before the vandalism.
O-Reilly Auto Parts in Sioux Falls is donating paint, and Integrity Auto Body in Tea has offered to re-paint the car for a reduced price.
Sioux Falls Police say they received a report of the vandalism Sunday afternoon, but there are no known suspects at this time.
KDLT reached out to Ezra Hall for an interview and got initial contact, but did not hear from him after that.
This article originally appeared on kdlt.com
