Claire, the beloved fiberglass dinosaur stolen more than a week ago from a Sinclair gas station in Brentwood, has been returned, an employee said Monday.
A woman who identified herself as a relative of the station operator said there was "good news" Monday morning, as the missing dinosaur had been found under a blanket at the station.
She referred further questions to the owners, who were expected to return later in the day.
Since the Mesozoic mascot's disappearance on Sept. 27, security video has circulated showing a man in a yellow hoodie using power tools to remove the four-foot-tall dinosaur -- sometimes misidentified as a Brontosaurus -- from its anchors outside the Sinclair station at 13060 San Vicente Blvd.
The theft was carried out with the help of power tools and an accomplice. A person in a white pickup truck pulled up, and the suspect placed the dinosaur in the truck's bed before driving away.
In the days following the theft, Los Angeles police opened an investigation while neighbors placed flowers at the spot where Claire had stood.
The station operator appealed for the dinosaur's return, noting that versions of the Sinclair mascot have been part of the company's advertising since 1930, and urged that it be brought back overnight -- no questions asked.
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Owner John Fawcett spoke with long-time neighbor and friend Jen Porter, who took to social media to express outrage.
“I sent it out to my measly 7,000 followers, and everybody was disgusted by it,” Porter told KNX News’ Pete Demetriou. “And then I ran into Jamie Lee Curtis at the market, who has 6 million followers, and I said, ‘Jamie, you have to do something.’ And she said, ‘Done, give it to me.’ And I said, ‘Somebody stole the dinosaur at the gas station.’”
When Claire was returned, there was a note attached which read, “"I'm sorry for stealing Claire! Please do not press charges! Thank you."
Fawcett told Demetriou he’s not going to press charges.
“I’m just glad Claire’s back,” he said.
Demetriou reported that Claire was a little worse for wear with a few chips in her paint. She’s expected to be touched up and resecured.
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