OOOOnly Audi Repairs Laval single mom’s stolen car involved in audacious Vaughan Mills robbery

February 22, 2023 · 0 Comments

Danny Hegedus, Zoltan Hegedus and mechanic Randy Glaze of OOOOnly Audio in Schomberg are repairing a Laval single mom’s Audi at no charge.

By Jim Stewart

When you walk through the front door of the OOOOnly Audi Repair Shop in downtown Schomberg, a visitor is struck by the welcoming and hospitable presence of Zoltan Hegedus, who has operated his repair shop for all makes and models of cars since 1981. Comfortable leather seats are all taken by visiting residents, including Joe McDonald, whose friendly 140-pound Mastiff lumbers amid those gathered. The reception area feels like a community hub that gathers customers, neighbours, friends, and family.
Despite this tranquil setting for business and bonding, the Hegedus family has been launched into the glare of a media spotlight in recent weeks since they came to the assistance of a Laval single mom whose car was stolen and significantly damaged by audacious criminals. The thieves – two of which were apprehended on Friday and remain in custody – used her 2011 Audi to smash entrances and store windows at Vaughan Mills Shopping Mall on February 1. When it was mentioned to Zoltan that local residents at a Schomberg Cougars’ game described his family’s intervention as “the kindest act they’ve heard of in recent memory,” the charming patriarch smiled and said: “We love hearing that neighbors are happy that we were so helpful.”
Zoltan’s son, Danny, echoed his father’s sentiments: “That’s nice to hear. That’s what makes us feel right about the arrangement to fix Taylor-Anna’s Audi. It’s great to be recognized for these actions. We’re all neighbors in this community.”
When asked what motivated the Hegedus family to help the luckless single mom from Montreal, Danny Hegedus noted that “We saw the story in the news and one of the things that caught our interest was that an Audi was involved. We love working on – especially older Audis – so we reached out to Taylor-Anna by social media and we were able to get her 2011 car towed back to our shop. We have a passion for repairing older cars, especially Audis, and we wanted to help her because she was having problems with her insurance coverage. People pay so much for car insurance and when she didn’t have theft coverage, we wanted to help. It wasn’t her fault. Her car was stolen and taken out of province to commit a crime and then she was told she had to pay out of pocket.”
The selfless gesture by the Hegedus family has certainly caught the media’s attention and Zoltan Hegedus acknowledged that he has “received emails from people as far away as Latvia and Florida who were happy with how we helped this single mother from Montreal.”
Danny also noted that “Taylor-Anna was really in a bind and tried to drive the damaged 2011 Audi back to Montreal. We arranged for delivery of the vehicle back to Schomberg. There was lots of body damage – between $10,000-15,000 in parts alone. The car is still here. We’ll work on it when the parts all come in. Until then, we continue to serve our community customers and go about our business of fixing all makes of cars for local residents.”
When informed about two of the perpetrators being held in custody after being caught by police in Ottawa and Montreal, the family declined comment and focused on the plight of Taylor-Anna Zobinger: “It’s great to help someone in need.”
It’s evident that a helpful and hospitable spirit pervades this community hub at 306 Main Street in downtown Schomberg. Taylor-Anna Zobinger would certainly attest to that spirit as her 2011 Audi receives its complimentary repair.