Police were left scratching their heads after a thief swiped an eight-foot dinosaur from a petrol station.
The enormous green statue vanished from outside a Sinclair filling station in San Joaquin County, California.
The fibreglass mascot – reportedly measuring roughly eight feet long and four feet tall – sparked an unusual investigation by local sheriff’s deputies.
READ MORE: Jealous ex tries to ‘run down’ former girlfriend but ends up flipping his own car
Officers later tracked down and arrested a suspect in connection with the alleged theft, as reported by Need To Know.
But the dinosaur had already changed hands and ended up with a buyer who apparently had no idea it had been stolen.
Deputies eventually traced the prehistoric petrol station mascot to an address in the nearby city of Stockton.
It was found wedged beside a property with a black plastic bag covering its head.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office revealed details of the bizarre recovery in a tongue-in-cheek post on Monday (9 November).
A spokesperson said: “On October 27, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office received an unusual report: a dinosaur had gone missing in San Joaquin County.
“Deputies promptly responded and quickly determined this was no ordinary missing-person case.
“The dinosaur had, in fact, been taken from its rightful home at the Sinclair gas station by some less-than-evolved individuals.”
The office said its B-Side patrol deputies launched an investigation which led them to the person allegedly responsible for the disappearance.
Officials have not released the suspect’s name or details of any possible charges.
The spokesperson continued: “Further investigation revealed that the dinosaur had changed hands and ended up with an unsuspecting purchaser who apparently believed he had stumbled upon a genuine piece of history in the present day.
“Deputies followed the investigative leads to the dinosaur’s last known location in the City of Stockton, where they located the missing creature in distress, with a bag over its head.
“Without hesitation, a deputy came to the dinosaur’s rescue and freed it from its unfortunate predicament by removing the bag.”
Pictures released by the sheriff’s office show a smiling deputy posing beside the rescued dinosaur.
Another image shows an officer apparently riding the statue as it is transported in the back of a sheriff’s pickup truck.
The dinosaur was returned to the petrol station with help from the office’s STARS volunteers.
Police joked that the officer and dinosaur had developed a “prehistoric friendship” built on “trust, mutual respect and, apparently, a shared love of adventure”.
The sheriff’s office added: “Thanks to the stellar investigative work of our B-Side patrol deputies, this theft of a prehistoric creature did not become unsolved history.
“The dinosaur is safely back where it belongs, and another case has officially gone extinct.
“As always, if you see something, say something. Even if it’s a dinosaur!”
The green apatosaurus, known as Dino, has served as Sinclair’s mascot for decades and similar statues stand outside its petrol stations across the US.
READ MORE: Owner ‘blows substance into dog’s mouth’ in ‘distressing’ footage
