Cops Say Car Theft Suspect Swaps Skateboard for Classic Corvette

Last month, a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette wearing Rhode Island license plates was stolen from a Los Angeles parking garage. What set this particular theft apart from a typical one, however, was that suspect may well have arrived on the scene via skateboard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The LAPD says the skateboard-carrying suspect was spotted in an underground parking garage located on the 12200 block of West Olympic Boulevard in West Los Angeles on September 4, at around 8:40 pm, where a beautiful Silver Blue 1958 Corvette had been left unlocked. Moments later, the suspect was spotted on the security cameras again — but this time, he was behind the wheel of the C1-generation Corvette droptop.

The boosted ride is a fairly rare car; only 9,168 Corvettes were built in 1958, and only about 2,000 of those were painted Silver Blue with Inca Silver side coves like the one stolen in Los Angeles. These days, a first-generation Corvette in excellent condition can be worth more $100,000, although values can vary; a Silver Blue '58 roadster similar to the one taken sold for $70,000 on Bring a Trailer back in April, for example.

The man is described as a white male approximately six feet tall and between 25 and 30 years old. He was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt, dark shorts, gray and white shoes and carrying a black backpack. The car stolen had a Rhode Island license plate with the number 1KJ358, according to the LAPD; its VIN is listed as J58S108462. Anyone with information is urged to contact the LAPD's West Los Angeles Auto Detectives at 310-444-1503.

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