Actor’s Stolen Car Recovered

Actor John Travolta reported his classic Mercedes 280 SL convertible stolen last year. After parking the car in a residential neighborhood he returned to it about 10 minutes later to find it missing. Los Angeles County law enforcement used footage from a security camera which captured the incident to pursue the case and find the thieves. The two suspects seen in the footage stealing the car were identified and investigated.

The investigation of the men led to an auto theft ring that was responsible for a series of grand theft auto incidents involving many classic cars. Two men were recently arrested by auto theft investigators in connection to the thefts. The thieves primarily went after classic Mercedes Benz models and muscle cars. Including Mr. Travolta's Mercedes, eight cars that had been reported stolen in recent months were recovered. Contact a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney as soon as you can if you have been charged with a crime anywhere in the greater LA area.

Auto Theft is a Felony Offense

There are several different car theft charges and all of them are felonies. Two offenses, unlawful taking or driving of a vehicle (aka "joyriding") and grand theft auto (GTA) may be charged as a misdemeanor or felony depending on the specifics of the circumstances. Joyriding is only charged if there was no intention of stealing the car permanently. Other vehicle theft charges are carjacking (where violence or threat of violence is used to forcibly steal the car from its owner or driver), auto burglary (if the car was broken into in order to steal it), etc. Carjacking is a three-strike offense under California's Three Strike Law and all of these charges could lead to thousands in fines and many years imprisonment.

Work with a Los Angeles Felony Lawyer

The stakes can be high if you or someone you care about has been arrested for a felony offense such as GTA. It is crucial that you get a skilled felony defense attorney working to get you cleared of the charges as quickly as possible. A dedicated lawyer our firm, Martinian & Associates, has the experience needed to back them up. By working as a team we are able to put this experience to good use on behalf of our clients.

Visit http://www.martinianlaw.com to learn more about how the firm could help you.