John Travolta's stolen 1970 Mercedes recovered in pieces
(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - Actor John Travolta's vintage 1970 Mercedes-Benz convertible, stolen last fall, was recovered in pieces and one of the men charged in the theft has been sentenced to 16 months in jail and ordered to pay the actor $50,000 in restitution, according to court records obtained Wednesday.
Travolta's Mercedes-Benz 280-SL vanished from the street in Santa Monica while the "Pulp Fiction'' star was visiting a nearby Jaguar dealership in September. The Oscar-nominated actor had the keys with him for the 10 minutes he was reportedly in the dealership.
Santa Monica police Sgt. Richard Lewis said Travolta's car had been dismantled by the time it was recovered. Among the pieces found were seats, the speedometer, hubcaps and other parts.
D.L. Rayford Jr., 52, pleaded no contest on Jan. 5 to grand theft auto after he and Michael T. Green were arrested last month. Green has pleaded not guilty to two counts of grand theft auto and is due in court Feb. 8. Robert Conley, his public defender, said he could not comment.
Lewis said authorities waited until Wednesday to announce the arrests because of their continuing investigation into Rayford and Green. Police were able to clear eight stolen car cases after their arrests, Lewis said.