Army Veteran’s Dream Corvette Stolen and Trashed in Virginia

A Virginia Army veteran’s beloved 2017 C7 Corvette was stolen from his apartment parking lot, vandalized beyond recognition, and dumped miles away. The thieves are still on the loose, and the $20,000 repair bill is not covered by insurance. Here is how it all unfolded and what every car owner can learn from this nightmare.

What Happened to Keith Kunze’s Corvette

5 For years, Keith Kunze held onto one goal: get his Corvette back. He had owned one before, but deployments, kids, and life forced him to trade horsepower for practicality. After returning from Afghanistan, the Army veteran finally gave himself permission to chase that dream again. On his birthday, he found exactly what he wanted: a black on black 2017 Corvette with a manual transmission and a removable top.

He poured his heart and money into this car. 5Kunze described it simply: “This car was exactly what I wanted. Black inside, black outside, black rims.”

5 On October 19, 2025, Kunze walked out of his apartment expecting to see his Corvette in its usual spot. It was gone. 1 He was sure it was somewhere nearby. He started doing loops in the community, thinking he must have parked it in a weird spot.

It was not a parking mistake. 1According to the Henrico County Police Division, the car was stolen from the 4000 block of Gaelic Lane.

stolen black 2017 C7 Corvette vandalized in Virginia

Corvette Found Vandalized in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition

5 Henrico Police later confirmed the car had been stolen. Hours after the theft, Richmond Police located it abandoned in Scott’s Addition along West Marshall Street.

What Kunze found when he got there broke him.

5 The Corvette had been egged, spray painted, and stripped. The roof was missing. The headlights and tires were damaged. The interior had been trashed. 7 The words “get back” were spray painted on the door, a phrase sometimes linked to illegal street takeover events. 1 Nearby surveillance footage captured two masked people abandoning the car in Scott’s Addition and walking away. 5 Police are now investigating whether the Corvette was used in other crimes before it was dumped.

“I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around it because it’s so much damage.” ~ Keith Kunze

Insurance Won’t Cover the $20,000 Damage

This is where the story turns from heartbreak to financial devastation.

1 For more than three months, the car has been covered by a tarp while Kunze tries to make repairs. He said the repairs, estimated at roughly $20,000, are not covered by his insurance.

Why? 31Comprehensive coverage can help pay for a stolen vehicle if it is not recovered. Depending on the policy, you may also have coverage for custom parts, paint, rims, and other aftermarket additions. But comprehensive coverage is optional.

Here is what many car owners do not realize:

32 Standard car insurance typically does not cover aftermarket parts added to a vehicle. Insurers price their coverage based on costs to repair or replace a vehicle as it came from the original manufacturer. If you want to insure aftermarket modifications, you need to add an optional endorsement called custom parts and equipment (CPE) coverage.

32 A CPE endorsement can be added to your car insurance for as little as several dollars a month. The coverage will specify a maximum payout per event, usually between $2,000 and $10,000. The typical limit is $5,000.

For a car with $20,000 in custom work, even CPE may not fully cover the loss. But it would have eased the burden significantly.

One bright spot emerged from the wreckage. 6Among the damage, one item survived untouched: a handmade plaque given to Kunze by a fellow soldier while he was deployed in Afghanistan. “That’s the one thing I still have,” he said.

Suspects Still at Large as Henrico Police Investigate

5 Henrico Police say the case remains open. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 804-501-4800. 1 Detectives are looking into whether the car was used to commit other crimes. The surveillance footage showing masked suspects walking away from the Corvette is the biggest lead investigators have right now. 19 The Richmond Police Department released its 2025 crime statistics, revealing that major crimes declined 12% overall. Carjackings fell 39% compared to 2024, while residential robberies dropped 40%.

But numbers offer little comfort when you are the victim.

23 Nationally, vehicle thefts across the United States declined in 2025 to the lowest levels in several decades, marking a 23% decrease from 2024, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. A total of 659,880 vehicles were reported stolen nationwide last year.

That is still nearly 660,000 victims in a single year.

How to Protect Your Car from Theft and Vandalism

Kunze’s story is a painful reminder that even in a declining crime trend, no one is immune. Here are proven steps every car owner should take right now:

• Park in well-lit, high-traffic areas. 22Increased visibility deters thieves, so always park near a streetlight or in a well-lit lot.
• Lock your doors every single time. 22Some criminals walk through parking lots testing door handles to choose which vehicle they take.
• Invest in anti-theft technology. 29Steering wheel locks, audible alarms, kill switches, or aftermarket GPS tracking deter thieves and make it easier to recover your car if it is taken.
• Install a GPS tracker. 25Vehicles equipped with a GPS tracking device have a 90% recovery rate.
• Review your insurance coverage today. 34CPE coverage is not mandatory by law, but it is highly recommended if you have invested good money in custom equipment. A few extra dollars a month could save you thousands.
• Keep receipts for every modification. 40If you have receipts showing what you paid for custom parts, it may be easier to justify your claim’s value.

5 For now, Kunze keeps the Corvette close, under a tarp to hide the damage. It is still his dream car, just one he is fighting to restore all over again. The veteran who served his country overseas came home to build something personal and meaningful, only to have it ripped apart by strangers who still have not faced justice. If you have ever poured your soul into a car, a home, or anything you worked hard to earn, his story hits close to heart. Share your thoughts in the comments below, and if you know anything about this case, contact Henrico Police at 804-501-4800.