RitcheyRch
06-21-2007, 04:56 PM
A story with a happy ending.
http://www.knbc.com/news/13543554/detail.html
Authorities located the rightful owner of a vintage 1956 Ford Thunderbird that was stolen from the San Francisco Bay area more than three decades ago.
Ronald Leung said he was surprised and excited, according to a news release. Authorities contacted Leung Thursday morning.
The original police report was not available, but police records employees researched databases to find the stolen vehicle entry. The entry listed the owner's name and last known address.
The classic powder blue car with a V-8 engine is in mint condition and still "purs," according to KNBC reporter Doug Kriegel. Kriegel said the T-bird has less than 30,000 miles on the odometer. The car has powder blue seat belts in the front seats and a canvas top.
A California Highway Patrol officer in Moorpark recovered the stolen vehicle after a couple in eastern Ventura County bought the car. CHP officer Christopher Throgmorton said the couple bought it from a man in Ohio on eBay and had it shipped to California.
When the couple tried to register the car with the California Department of Motor Vehicles,the DMV could not locate the VIN, so they sent that task to the CHP's Moorpark office, where Throgmorton was able to find the number. After checking a national database, Throgmorton discovered that the car had been reported stolen in 1976.
Throgmorton said the car would be returned to the rightful owner. Or they may have been paid by an insurance company in a settlement, and in that case, the insurance company would be the rightful owner.
If no lawful ownership is established, then the couple who bought it will be allowed to keep it, Throgmorton said. He also said that whoever stole it, if they were ever discovered, would not face criminal charges because the statute of limitations had expired.
http://www.knbc.com/news/13543554/detail.html
Authorities located the rightful owner of a vintage 1956 Ford Thunderbird that was stolen from the San Francisco Bay area more than three decades ago.
Ronald Leung said he was surprised and excited, according to a news release. Authorities contacted Leung Thursday morning.
The original police report was not available, but police records employees researched databases to find the stolen vehicle entry. The entry listed the owner's name and last known address.
The classic powder blue car with a V-8 engine is in mint condition and still "purs," according to KNBC reporter Doug Kriegel. Kriegel said the T-bird has less than 30,000 miles on the odometer. The car has powder blue seat belts in the front seats and a canvas top.
A California Highway Patrol officer in Moorpark recovered the stolen vehicle after a couple in eastern Ventura County bought the car. CHP officer Christopher Throgmorton said the couple bought it from a man in Ohio on eBay and had it shipped to California.
When the couple tried to register the car with the California Department of Motor Vehicles,the DMV could not locate the VIN, so they sent that task to the CHP's Moorpark office, where Throgmorton was able to find the number. After checking a national database, Throgmorton discovered that the car had been reported stolen in 1976.
Throgmorton said the car would be returned to the rightful owner. Or they may have been paid by an insurance company in a settlement, and in that case, the insurance company would be the rightful owner.
If no lawful ownership is established, then the couple who bought it will be allowed to keep it, Throgmorton said. He also said that whoever stole it, if they were ever discovered, would not face criminal charges because the statute of limitations had expired.