Beetle Battle: Burbank Couple Must Pay $800 For Stolen Car Of 20 Years
A Burbank couple could finally be reunited with their red 1966 Volkswagen Beetle that was stolen in 1991. However, their reunion comes with a cost. They will have to pay $800 to get their beloved Bug back.
Darlene Peterson reported the car stolen in 1991, and last summer she received a call from CHP officers informing her that the car had been recovered. But handing the car back to its original owners was not an easy task, reports The Burbank Leader.
The car belonged to Francisco Quiroz of Northridge, and last summer, Quiroz discovered the vehicle identification number on his Bug did not match the one listed on his pink slip. Per DMV instructions, Quiroz contacted the CHP. On August 11, they took his statement and kept the car. Officers could not simply return to the car to the Petersons, as Quiroz claimed the car was his.
"They say the guy bought it in good faith," said John Peterson, Darlene's husband. "Well, he bought a stolen car." Quiroz says he purchased the car in 1999 and has invested between $5,000 and $6,000 into the vehicle via repairs and maintenance, including rebuilding the engine.
How did Quiroz obtain the car? A CHP report says he was given the car as payment for work by German Hurtado, a man who lived in Quiroz's building. Hurtado bought the Beetle for $400 from an unidentified man in Reseda, who purchased the vehicle from a man in Las Vegas.
The "headache" of a case went before L.A. County Superior Court Judge Alice Altoon on Friday, who named Quiroz a second victim in the case who should be fairly paid for the vehicle. A CHP officer and sergeant reviewed receipts for the vehicle and determined Quiroz should be paid $801.15 for the Beetle.
Altoon said, "Everyone can go home happy, or unhappy." A happy Darlene offered to write a check on the spot, but the decision did not bring a smile to John's face.
