Andrew Garcia, from Orange County, California, believed his Lamborghini was gone for good after it was stolen two years prior. The theft was part of a multi-million dollar car theft ring, involving almost 20 luxury vehicles, which authorities described as a large-scale operation. The thieves rented the vehicles and never returned them, instead altering paperwork to strip the owners of their titles before reselling the cars.
"I cried," Garcia said, recalling the day his car vanished. "It was a huge shock for a lot of people," he told CBS8. While other victims of the ring had their vehicles recovered, Garcia's Lamborghini remained missing until he received a peculiar Instagram message.
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The Lamborghini Huracan was recovered after two years, thanks to ChatGPT. Photo: CBS8 |
The Lamborghini Huracan was recovered after two years, thanks to ChatGPT. Photo: CBS8
"Have you sold this car?" the message inquired, accompanied by recent photos of the vehicle. Apparently, the person contacting Garcia had found his business card inside the car and reached out hoping to purchase more supercars.
Instead of going to the police, Garcia decided to investigate himself. He input the photos into ChatGPT, combined this with Google's location services, and gathered enough data to pinpoint the car's location. The trail led him to Denver, Colorado, where he alerted the police. Authorities there located the vehicle and confirmed it was Garcia's long-lost Lamborghini.
Cale Gould, a representative of the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority, praised the unconventional detective work: "This proactive information gathering really paid off in helping recover the stolen vehicle." The investigation into the car’s possessor in Colorado is ongoing. Police have not yet indicated whether they believe these individuals are connected to the original theft.
Meanwhile, those involved in the California theft ring are facing consequences. One individual has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing on theft and embezzlement charges, while another has a court hearing scheduled for October.
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