In Selma shopping for a suit after his birthday on Saturday, Galion’s Gary Day walked out of the Selma Mall Wednesday to find his 2003 four-door Dodge Dakota 4X4 was missing.

“I looked all around that area for two or three rows, I knew the general area,” he said. “I looked around at the building and I said I’m in the right place. I still couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it.”

Day called Selma Police and filed a report. He’s hoping to hear something back from them soon, but he doesn’t expect the truck to be found unharmed.

“I figure they’re joy riding, then they don’t care (about the truck),” he said. “I’d be fortunate if I could get back with some dented fenders or something like that.”

Luckily for Day, he considered the truck his “show” vehicle.

He still has his work truck for everyday driving.

“I have my work truck, I’m not walking thank the Lord,” he said. “It was the show truck, if you want to go out and show off, that kind of thing.”

Though it seems there has been a rise in the reports of thefts over $1,000, the truck theft is the first that’s been reported at the mall in that span.

The truck was valued at $18,000.

Carver Boynton, Director of the mall said they employ a very well trained security company and maintain a good relationship with the Selma Police Department to help ensure shopper’s vehicles are protected. Boynton assured patrons that both of these entities work to police the mall.

“Although we have isolated incidents that occur throughout the city we do our very best to ensure the safety of our shoppers,” she said.

Day, who said he chooses from Selma, Tuscaloosa or Meridian, Miss. for his shopping, said he won’t hold the theft against Selma.

“That can happen anywhere, I presume,” he said.

Last week, Times-Journal employee Morris Veach had his truck and about 2,000 editions of The Times-Journal stolen as he delivered the papers to local businesses.

– contributed to this report