carimmohelp: John Travolta’s Stolen Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Recovered, in Pieces

воскресенье, 29 января 2012 г.

John Travolta’s Stolen Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Recovered, in Pieces

Okay, so it wasn't gone in 60 seconds, but all it took was 10 minutes. Last September actor John Travolta left his classic Mercedes-Benz 280 SL convertible parked out in a Santa Monica, Calif., neighborhood. When he came back just minutes later, he found his prized Benz had been stolen.

Unfortunately for Travolta, his 280 apparently caught the attention a car theft ring that targeted various classic and muscle cars. Two men were arrested this week in connection with the theft, and Travolta's timeless Benz has been recovered — at least parts of it. The car (similar to the photos pictured had been chopped into pieces and the entire car has not been recovered, authorities said.

Video footage of the suspects driving off with the car played a key part in its recovery, helping lead authorities to a chop shop where they found eight other stolen cars and miscellaneous parts from other vehicles.

Thanks to an increase in law-enforcement efforts to shut down car theft rings, auto theft has recently been on the decline. A report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau released last summer revealed U.S. automobile theft in 2010 fell 7.2 percent year-over-year, reaching the lowest rate since 1967. That's little consolation to Travolta, although thanks to the hard work of the law enforcement task force who busted the ring, he's got some of his car back at least.

Source: Los Angeles Times, Reuters