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 of unknown priority while neighbors placed flowers at the spot where Claire had stood.
The station operator appealed for the return of the dinosaur, urging that it be brought back overnight — no questions asked.
Versions of the Sinclair mascot have been part of the company’s advertising since 1930.
Security video later showed the dinosaur being taken out of the pickup truck’s bed and returned to its former perch, with a note taped to it that said, “I’m sorry for stealing Claire! Please do not press charges! Thank you.”
LAPD Media Relations said it had no immediate update on the status of the investigation.