Travolta's stolen Mercedes found, in pieces

LOS ANGELES: California police have arrested two men suspected of stealing a vintage Mercedes belonging to US actor John Travolta and recovered the car -- but it was in pieces, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL was stolen last September after the "Grease" and "Pulp Fiction" star left it for only a few minutes on a Santa Monica street, while he went to visit a Jaguar dealership.

"Detectives obtained video footage of the vehicle and the suspects as the vehicle was being stolen," said a police spokesman, adding that police had a number of tips from the public after the story made the news.

The two men, allegedly involved in a sophisticated auto-theft ring, were arrested and named as Michael Green, 58, and D.L. Rayford Jr., 52. Detectives shut down the ring, and recovered Travolta's car and seven other stolen vehicles.

"Investigators recovered multiple pieces of Mr. Travolta's vehicle as the investigation progressed. It had been chopped and much of the vehicle has not been located," spokesman Richard Lewis told AFP.

Travolta estimated the car's value at $35,000 dollars, but Lewis said he thought it could be worth more because it was a vintage model.

Green has been charged with two counts of grand theft auto and will appear in court on February 8. Rayford pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 16 months in state prison.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2012