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Nissan Skyline GT-R thief busted by internet forum members
Due to the Canadian 15 year or older vehicle exemption rule it is not all too surprising to find a slightly modified R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R on a dealer's lot. Such was the situation at Heritage Auto Sales in Calgary, Alberta. The dealership had a charcoal grey 1991 GT-R with a Greddy single turbo kit, Zeal coilovers and Panasport wheels on display for interested buyers. The car attracted one apparently serious customer who returned on multiple occasions looking for an opportunity to take a test drive. It must have been a good day, as the salesman was a trusting fellow and allowed the shopper a brief solo spin around the block. Perhaps the salesman felt a bit of remorse for the guy, as he was missing two fingers he claimed were lost in a recent accident involving his old GT-R. However, it wasn't long before the situation turned sour. The 10 minute journey wound up being a straight-up vehicle theft, leading to a police report and a simple posting on an internet forum. Follow the jump to learn what ensued.
Normally, one would think all is lost; the car must have been stripped apart and hidden behind closed doors within minutes. Fortunately, this thief wasn't so clever. Possibly forgetting that he was in possession of an atypical vehicle sporting dealer plates, or that he had flaunted a characteristic injury during the commission of his crime, the thief continued to cruise the streets of Calgary. It didn't take more than a few hours after the start of the internet thread for a reader to spot the hot property at a local mall. The perpetrator was even captured on camera. Needless to say, his photo was quickly posted for all to see, and several members recognized the thief in all his three-fingered glory. They responded by forking over his Facebook page, full name, address and workplace information. He was promptly nicknamed "The Claw" and became the subject of many online Photoshop mockeries.
The saga eventually reached its conclusion when readers visited the thief's home, boxed in the stolen GT-R and video taped the police hauling "The Claw" off to jail. Naturally, the web-savvy bunch had the video up on YouTube in no time. Catch it below, and thanks to all who sent tips!
[Source: Beyond.ca]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
davidt70 8:46AM (3/30/2008)
what does that have to do with the price of guava beans?
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mkM3 8:59AM (3/30/2008)
Ok, sure. But what if they pulled the gun away?
I mean I probably wouldn't buy any car with a gun to my head. Way too stressful.
I definitely would never eat a pistachio while someone was juggling crazy glue though. That's just way risky, and also way, way too relevant to the discussion.
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John 9:48AM (3/30/2008)
This story is from Canada and they confiscated all the guns from everyone so no need to worry about a gun to your head. That being said, probably a good place to become a thief, no need to worry about people defending themselves
stefan 9:08AM (3/30/2008)
This a nissan not a ford or a toyota YOU RETARD.
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Judy Zik 4:04PM (3/30/2008)
@John
Where the hell do you get your information from Fox "News"? Can you even find Canada on the map? The Canadian government requires us to register our guns. Big deal. We all register our cars too. Doesn't mean we can't own them. Duh!
Mobius_1 10:08AM (3/30/2008)
The power of the internet! But that thief wasn't the smartest one you'll see, though he chose a pretty cool (and also rare, thus even dumber) target
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Rick 10:26AM (3/30/2008)
The internet is powerful beyond all comprehension.
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Seanross 10:35AM (3/30/2008)
Ahahaha. this along with the Fresh Fail 2008 Thread at Mdstreetscene.com... Idiots these days LMAO
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WillDaThrill 11:06AM (3/30/2008)
"I'll get you next time, Gadget! NEXT TIME!"
"RRAAAUUWWWW!"
Sorry, had to do it ;)
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bmw122487 11:34AM (3/30/2008)
This car is on ebay now!!!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Nissan-Skyline-GT-R-GTR-Recovered-Lobster-Claw-Bandit_W0QQitemZ330223895462QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item330223895462
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LeRobert 11:54AM (3/30/2008)
@ John
Oh please! Guns cause more crime than it solves; just look at the murder rate discrepancy between the US (where there is hardly any gun control), Canada (where there is moderate gun control) and Japan (where getting your hands on an atomic bomb is easier than on guns).
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garlinski 12:08PM (3/30/2008)
Better than reading the Sunday NY Times. J?ust kidding. That 65 page thread was awesome! The guy getting the picture of the kid while out joyriding was priceless! As one poster said, "Clawsome"! Dumba**.
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Yar 3:34PM (3/30/2008)
Vigilantism or community cooperation? Interesting story, and good example of internet ingenuity. But did they seriously box-in the car themselves? I know this happened in Canada, and violent crime is the last thing on anyones mind, but don't they think thats a little thick?
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Jett Rink 2:33PM (4/01/2008)
Are you kidding?
This is Calgary we are talking about, not "somewhere-with-a-lot-of-guns-and-people-shoot-each-other-often". I live here.
A guy this dumb isn't clever enough to figure out how to GET a gun in this society.
See how that works?
Yar 8:40PM (3/30/2008)
Ding Dong, here comes the clue train. Last stop...YOU.
Where did I mention guns?
Mat 12:09PM (3/31/2008)
ummm...i live in Calgary too, and I wouldn't be boxing someone in who so brazenly stole a car. He is most likely dangerously stupid and that's when bad things happen.
Alex 10:18AM (3/31/2008)
@ Mark
you are an idiot. if someone puts a gun to your head, you do exactly what they tell you to do. I mean c'mon, what is worse driving off a lot in a Toyota Yaris or being dead.
Besides, all the mentally unstable gun weilding person wants is for you to buy a toyota. Just turn around and and sell it once he leaves. Sure, you lose a little money in the immediate depreciation but if you e-bay it you can add this whole dramatic story and maybe catch a little TV time. then that online casino company will buy it for 2.3 million and you'll be sitting pretty. all because you made the smart move and did exactly what the mad man said.
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