KTLA

Thieves escape with classic car worth over $100,000 in Woodland Hills

Video captures the moment a classic car worth over $100,000 was stolen from outside a home in Woodland Hills.

The car’s owner, Seth Wayne, said the theft happened at nighttime on Jan. 11. 

Wayne had waited a lifetime to acquire his dream car — a teal green 1962 Chevy Impala convertible. The classic car is equipped with a dozen batteries for hydraulic hopping and is worth over $100,000.

“You work hard for this and people just come and snatch it right from you,” Wayne said.

Wayne had enjoyed his beloved vehicle for only two weeks when it was stolen the night before his 34th birthday.

“It’s not the kind of thing you want to deal with on your birthday,” Wayne said ruefully. 

1 / 7

Security footage outside the victim’s home captured two men approaching the car. Wayne said they either hotwired the Chevy or just rolled it down the neighborhood street.

While messing around under the car’s hood, Wayne said the thieves almost blew themselves up in the process.

“I guess they weren’t familiar with what the hydraulics were and what was going on back there and when they yanked the cables, the charger, the positive and the negative, they hit it and sparks went flying everywhere,” Wayne said.

What the thieves didn’t realize, however, was that the car was actually missing some parts as Wayne had been working on the engine.

Unable to start the convertible, the suspect driver is seen yelling at his accomplice who was driving behind him in a silver Prius. The Prius begins pushing the Chevy Impala before both suspects drive away.

“It just sucks that these punks are out here doing stuff like this,” Wayne said. “They didn’t know how to open the hood of an Impala so they bent the grill and as you can see in the video, the grill is busted, just to open the hood.”

Wayne, who is also a flight instructor, said he typically stores his Chevy Impala in a secure airplane hangar for safety. Although he has insurance for the vehicle, he only wishes to have his beloved convertible back and hopes the suspects are caught soon.

Anyone who recognizes the thieves or has information on the incident is asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-275-5273.