VISTA, Calif.: California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigators recovered a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda drag racer stolen two years ago. In early 2022, a custom Plymouth Barracuda drag racer, trailer, tools, and spare vehicle parts worth an estimated $60,000 were stolen from a secure storage facility in Perris, CA.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) Oceanside Area Officer Shaw received information the stolen Plymouth Barracuda was in the North San Diego County region. Investigators from the California Highway Patrol’s Oceanside Area conducted an extensive investigation. The Plymouth was painted black, with its vehicle identification number (VIN) switched, to hide its true identity, in violation of California Vehicle Code 10751(a). Over the last few years, the Plymouth had been bought, traded, and sold several times throughout southern California.
On January 25, 2024, Officer Shaw reunited the Plymouth with its rightful owner at the Oceanside Area CHP office. The understandably emotional victim told Officer Shaw he plans on getting his car back on the racetrack as soon as possible. Oceanside CHP would like to thank the local racing and classic car community members who assisted in investigating, recovering, and returning this car and its parts to its legitimate owner.
As a reminder, please be careful when purchasing privately sold vehicles from online marketplace apps or anywhere online where fraud is highly prevalent. Ensure the paperwork/title you receive is accurate during a vehicle purchase. Protect yourself by asking a seller if they will meet you in front of a police station or at a bank to conduct a purchase. After you have purchased a vehicle, make sure you register the car in your name and acquire insurance. If you become a victim of fraud and you have not registered the vehicle in your name and have a title in your name, law enforcement assistance is minimal in most cases.
The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.
