Saved From Extinction: Calif. Deputies Track Down Stolen Dinosaur Mascot
What to Know
- San Joaquin County sheriff's deputies recovered a stolen dinosaur mascot that disappeared from a Sinclair gas station and tracked it to a Stockton home.
- Investigators arrested a suspect in the theft and learned the mascot had already been sold to an unsuspecting buyer.
- Deputies returned the dinosaur to the gas station after finding it with a plastic bag over its head and jokingly "rescuing" it.
A dinosaur mascot stolen from a California gas station has been recovered from a Stockton home, sheriff’s officials said.
The Dino mascot was stolen Oct. 27 from a Sinclair gas station in San Joaquin County, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Monday Instagram post.
Deputies “quickly determined this was no ordinary missing-person case” and discovered the dinosaur had been stolen by “less-than-evolved individuals,” officials said.
Investigators arrested a suspect in the theft but learned the dinosaur had already been sold to a Stockton resident, deputies said.
Deputies tracked the stolen dinosaur to the buyer’s home, where they found it with a plastic bag over its head, officials said.
“Without hesitation, a deputy came to the dinosaur’s rescue and freed it from its unfortunate predicament by removing the bag,” deputies said on Instagram.
Deputies jokingly described the bond that formed between the deputy and the dinosaur.
“That bond was strong enough for the deputy to climb aboard and ride the dinosaur back to its rightful habitat, with a little help from our awesome STARS volunteers!” the post said.
A photo showed the deputy “riding” the dinosaur in the back of a sheriff’s pickup truck.
The dinosaur was returned to the gas station, deputies said.
“As always, if you see something, say something. Even if it’s a dinosaur!” deputies advised.
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