Stolen Sinclair dinosaur found in Stockton with a bag over its head
A big green Sinclair petrol station dinosaur was allegedly stolen in San Joaquin County, California, sold on to a buyer who thought he'd found a genuine piece of history, and finally tracked down in Stockton wearing a bag over its head.
Most stolen goods are small enough to slip into a pocket. Not this one. On 27 October, a large green Sinclair dinosaur – the famous fibreglass mascot that guards Sinclair petrol stations across America – was reported stolen from a forecourt in San Joaquin County, California.
Deputies from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office identified a suspect, who was arrested. But by then the dinosaur had allegedly been sold on, to what the sheriff’s office called an “unsuspecting purchaser who apparently believed he had stumbled upon a genuine piece of history in the present day”.
AI illustration – an antique, apparently. Not the actual event.
Investigators followed the trail to a home in Stockton, where they found the dinosaur with, for reasons nobody has explained, a bag over its head. Perhaps it was in disguise. Perhaps it was embarrassed. Deputies removed the bag, and the sheriff’s office posted a photo of a deputy riding the statue as it was taken back to the petrol station, helped by sheriff’s volunteers.
AI illustration – yee-haw, Jurassic edition. Not the actual event. Can you spot Gaz? #WheresGaz
The sheriff’s office clearly enjoyed itself. “This theft of a prehistoric creature did not become unsolved history,” it said. “Another case has officially gone extinct.” It also urged residents: “If you see something, say something. Even if it’s a dinosaur!”
The suspect hasn’t been named and no details of charges have been released, and the exact petrol station wasn’t stated. The dinosaur, we’re told, is back on guard. Bag-free.
Sources: CBS Sacramento (Cecilio Padilla, 9 Nov 2026) · KCRA (9 Nov 2026) · Sacramento Bee
Image credits: Top photo: Chris Light, “Tremonten RJ’s 4159 (5-12-24)”, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (representative, cropped; not the stolen dinosaur). Illustrations: Gorilla Gazette / AI-generated, not real photos.
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