Stolen car is found 31 years later

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SUPER SLEUTH- California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Throgmorton recovers a 1956 Ford Thunderbird stolen 31 years ago to the day. A Ventura County resident purchased the car on eBay for about $1,000. The car, stolen from its Palo Alto owners, has been registered in California, Massachusetts, and Ohio.

Moorpark authorities last week recovered a car reported stolen 31 years ago in Palo Alto. The 1956 Ford Thunderbird was recently purchased on eBay for $1,000. The classic vehicle is probably worth $20,000 to $30,000 because it's in very good condition, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Throgmorton.

The new owners brought the car to the CHP office in Moorpark because they couldn't locate the vehicle identification number, he said.

Since the car was purchased from an out-of-state-seller, the VIN tag, which was in an unusual location under the hood, had to be found before the car could be here, Throgmorton said.

Once the little plaque was found, authorities noticed it was different from the VIN that was listed on the title. Records also showed that the VIN belonged to a vehicle that had been stolen in June 1976.

Authorities are now trying to locate the owner. That may take a while because the paperwork was stored away many years ago, said Throgmorton.

If the original owner can't be found, the officer said, authorities plan to give the car to the insurance company that compensated the original owners for the loss, so the new buyer is not likely to get the car back.

The new buyer can sue the eBay seller in civil court, but in the meantime they are out of their money, Throgmorton said.

In some instances, stolen cars are kept for a long time because the culprits hope the theft reports will drop out of the system, according to the officer. But since the car was stolen so long ago, the eBay seller may not be the car thief, he said.

- - Sylvie Belmond