LOS ANGELES — A 50-pound fiberglass dinosaur named Claire that was stolen from a Los Angeles gas station has been returned with an apologetic note.
The 4-foot-tall prehistoric mascot was stolen last week from a Sinclair gas station on San Vicente Boulevard in the Brentwood neighborhood. Video showed the person using power tools to remove Claire, loading her into the bed of a pickup truck that pulled up alongside the fuel pumps and driving away.
A clerk at the station told NBC Los Angeles she arrived at work early Monday to see Claire had been returned. An attached note read, “I’m sorry for stealing. Please don’t charge me!”
The dinosaur, wrapped in fabric, was likely returned sometime after midnight when the business is closed. In security camera video recorded Monday morning, what appears to be the same white pickup pulled up to the station before someone unloaded the wrapped dinosaur.
NBC Los Angeles reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for additional details. No arrests were reported early Monday.
The dinosaur’s disappearance captured the attention of residents, including actor Jamie Lee Curtis, who posted video of the crime.
In an Instagram post, Curtis said, “REALLY! Hey, you with your fancy truck, really? You need to steal the dinosaur from in front of the Sinclair gas station? Really? Not cool dude. Not cool!”
Some of Claire’s fans brought flowers and other items to the gas station.
Dinosaurs became part of Sinclair’s advertising in the 1930s. The first promotions featured different dinosaurs, but the Apatosaurus eventually became the company’s most recognized prehistoric mascot.
