Palo Alto Online : Stolen Ford Thunderbird found 31 years later

Sign up for Express
New from Palo Alto Online, Express is a daily e-edition, distributed by e-mail every weekday.
Sign up to receive Express!

Join Us

Click for Palo Alto, California Forecast

Palo Alto Online News

Send this story

Print this story

Adjust text size

Uploaded: Thursday, June 21, 2007, 9:45 AM

Stolen Ford Thunderbird found 31 years later

A 1956 Ford Thunderbird stolen from its Palo Alto owner in 1976 has surfaced 31 years later in Southern California when a woman bought it over eBay from a man in Ohio who shipped it to her.

When the woman went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a new license plate, the DMV couldn't find the vehicle indentification number (VIN), according to the Ventura County Star newspaper.

The DMV sent the woman to California Highway Patrol Officer Christopher Throgmorton, who specializes in finding VINs on old cars. That's when it was discovered that the car been stolen from a Palo Alto owner.

Palo Alto Police Officer Brian Philip said the department is checking records to find out who the original owner was and looking for the police report filed when it was stolen.

Philip added that the CHP said the car is in "perfect, original condition" with only 24,979 miles on the odometer.

-- Don Kazak

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.

Comments

Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 21, 2007 at 10:48 am

The wonders of our modern Palo Alto crime squad, tracing stolen property after 31 years.

Report Objectionable Content

Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jun 21, 2007 at 12:44 pm

I guess there's hope for my son's Impalla

Report Objectionable Content

Posted by Vitorio, a resident of the Palo Alto Hills neighborhood, on Jun 21, 2007 at 1:11 pm

Did they arrest the man who sold her the car on e-bay? It's crime, where did he get if from? Have they traced the crime? Sooner or later everyone pays.... I had a 94 Sentra when I was in High School... It was stolen 3 months after I bought it... So I guess that in 18 years or so they will find my car... I don't want it anymore.... I just want the jerk to go to Jail... That would make me happy....

Report Objectionable Content

Posted by prankster, a resident of the Evergreen Park neighborhood, on Jun 21, 2007 at 5:15 pm

Come on guys - we all know the orignal "theft" was just some moronic high school prank from a 1976 graduating senior.

Now that school officials are cracking down with zero tolerance for this type of behavior, they have enlisted the police to retroactively identify past perpetrators. If caught, this particular prankster will be facing a misdemeanor charge since the car probably wasn't worth $400 back then (unlike the current value of a couple of rotted wooden deck boards).

By the way, wasn't me... I graduated '82

Report Objectionable Content

If you were a member and logged in you could track comments from this story.

Add a Comment

Posting an item on Town Square is simple and requires no registration! Just complete this form and hit "submit" and your topic will appear online. Please be respectful and truthful in your postings so Town Square will continue to be a thoughtful gathering place for sharing community information and opinion. All postings are subject to our TERMS OF USE, and may be deleted if deemed inappropriate by our staff

We prefer that you use your real name, but you may use any "member" name you wish.

Name: *

Select your Neighborhood or School Community: * Not sure?

Comment: *

Enter the verification code exactly as shown, using capital and lowercase letters, in the multi-colored box. *
Verification Code:

Best Website
First Place
2009-2012


		© 2013 Palo Alto Online All rights reserved.