The Brief

Westsiders are celebrating the return of a beloved gas station dinosaur mascot that was stolen over a week ago.

The 4-foot-tall green Apatosaurus has been a fixture at the Sinclair station at the corner of San Vicente and 26th Street in Brentwood for about seven years. Nicknamed Clair, she shows up in countless selfies and dresses up for the holidays.

Clair in Dodger Blue sometime before her disappearance.

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Courtesy Cari Fawcett

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So when she was stolen, owner Cari Fawcett said the community took it pretty hard.

“Oh my gosh, we’ve had people come in and cry that Clair is missing. We’ve had people bring flowers,” Fawcett told LAist.

And then on Monday, gas station owners said surveillance footage appeared to show someone returning Clair around 2 a.m.

Drivers honked and cheered the return of their prehistoric friend. Passersby also stopped to take a photo of Clair, who was wrapped in a drop cloth.

Brandon Adams-Gray, who works in the neighborhood, said he particularly enjoyed Clair dressed up as Rudolph over Christmas.

“To see it actually returned was like a glimpse of, there are still good people in the world. Even though they took it and brought it back,” Adams-Gray said.

Clair in one of her many costumes.

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Courtesy Cari Fawcett

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A note attached to the dino stated: “I’m sorry for stealing Claire (sic)! Please do not press charges! Thank you!”

Owners said they filed a police report, but don’t plan to press charges.

As of Monday afternoon, Clair was still shrouded in the drop cloth. The gas station owners said they planned to unwrap the dino and assess any damage later in the day.

While it’s not exactly clear how old Clair is, Fawcett said she’s definitely vintage, and was donated to her family by a writer who had the dino in his office for decades.

A sign explaining Clair's backstory.

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Robert Garrova

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Los Angeles police officers shot and killed a man who appeared to be armed with a rifle outside the California Science Center in Exposition Park on Thursday morning, according to LAPD Deputy Chief Marc Reina.

Reina said police do not yet know the identity of man, who they estimate was about 35 years old.

No police or other community members were injured in the incident, Reina said. The science center was placed briefly on lockdown but reopened. The north side of the museum remains closed, the deputy chief said.

Reina said a motorcycle cop initially spotted the man around 9:30 a.m. carrying what appeared to be a rifle and walking west down State Drive, a small road that runs between the science center and Exposition Park Rose Garden.

Multiple cops responded to the scene and faced off with the man. The subject continued down State Drive, Reina said, before police opened fire.

Los Angeles Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene and pronounced the man dead, Reina said.

The incident will be investigated by department use-of-force investigators, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and the LAPD’s inspector general, the deputy chief said.

Investigators have not yet determined what prompted police to open fire, Reina said. Police do not believe the man fired his weapon.

Here's what witnesses saw

Stacey Hutchinson said he was sitting on a bench along State Drive drinking a cup of coffee when the incident unfolded.

He said the man appeared in good spirits and greeted him nonchalantly as he walked up the street before taking a seat. Hutchinson said he saw the man carrying what appeared to be a long gun.

Police initially responded with bean bag guns, Hutchinson said, but drew firearms when the man picked up the weapon.

Police opened fire after the man pointed the apparent rifle in their direction, Hutchinson said.

The man did not appear to be trying to enter the science center, Hutchinson said, and appeared to remain calm until police asked him to drop his weapon.