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Man plans to sue Jiffy Lube over alleged attempted laptop theft

ROSWELL — Roswell police have charged a Jiffy Lube employee for breaking into a customer’s car, and now the victim is planning to sue the company for negligence.

Joshua Anderson told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik he took his car into a Jiffy Lube location on Holcomb Bridge Road in May to get an oil change.

“I left to run an errand and upon arriving back, I see an individual going through my trunk,” Anderson said.

Anderson said he confronted the man, later identified as Tamir Chester, a store employee.

“He had my laptop bag on the ground and he was just beginning to go through it as I walked up,” Anderson said.

Anderson said two other store employees joined Chester and surrounded him in an attempt to intimidate him after the incident.

“I would never think that would happen at a place like that,” Anderson said. “That’s a respectable business.”

Even more concerning for Anderson and his attorney is the revelation that Chester was a convicted felon when Jiffy Lube hired him.

Records show Chester was convicted of aggravated assault and armed robbery in DeKalb County in 1998, and was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison.

“Clearly this would be a case of negligent hiring,” said Anthony Van Johnson.  “Jiffy Lube knew or should have known, prior to hiring this individual.”

Van Johnson said he planned to file a lawsuit against Jiffy Lube for failing to properly vet Chester before hiring him.

“This needs to be a strong message to Jiffy Lube and other businesses out there,” he said.  “They need to do their due diligence in their hiring practices.”

Jiffy Lube Atlanta spokesman Mike Davis told Petchenik he couldn’t comment on the particulars of the situation because the case was now in litigation.  Davis said there “are two sides to every story” and his office would be keeping a close eye on this situation as it developed.  He would not confirm that Chester had been fired from his position.