Clair, the beloved gas station dinosaur statue in Brentwood, is returned with a note: 'Please don’t press charges!'

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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