police recover a Mustang stolen 30 years ago... however, they had to take it from a guy who had bought it in 2004 for his daughter's 16th birthday, and blew 60 thou on restoring it (Thanks Gary!)

Steven Merced of Holbrook, NY, told News 12 Long Island he purchased the 1966 Mustang in 2004 for $3,500. The man said he bought the car for his daughter’s 16th birthday and dropped $60,000 on the automobile to refurbish it.

The Department of Motor Vehicles started digitizing VINS from stolen car-reports that go back decades. Merced’s Mustang was one of the cars stolen more than 30 years ago, in 1980, police said.

Merced said he was given $1,450 by his insurance company for the vehicle but he just wanted his classic sports car back.

Poor bastard. He blew 63,500 dollars, and only insured it, or only could recoup from his insurance company, 2 %

2 dollars for every hundred dollars he spent.

http://longisland.news12.com/story/37130803/police-confiscate-holbrook-mans-mustang-for-being-stolen-in-1980
http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/12/23/new-york-mans-classic-mustang-confiscated-after-it-was-reported-stolen-in-1980.html

Here's where I, once again, find that the reporters are lazy bastards and didn't do a good job.

Why wasn't the car returned to the original owner, or his insurance company?
Who was the original owner, why wasn't that person interviewed?