Papa John's 1971 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28, which was stolen from the Woodward Dream Cruise event in Detroit Saturday, was finally discovered Monday in the driveway of an abandoned home in Detroit's west side.
Papa John's Camaro has been used for the pizza chain's promotions.
According to police, Papa John's Camaro was only one of three vehicles stolen during the Woodward Dream Cruise event, and event on Saturday which showcased classic cars, according to Fox News.
Police added that the Louisville, Kentucky-based pizza company reported the robbery Sunday morning following the Saturday event.
Papa John's Camaro was found across Samuel Gompers Elementary-Middle School on Pierson Street, about three blocks north of I-96 in Detroit, according to Officer Shanelle Williams. The gold vehicle covered in black stripes was spotted parked in a highly-weeded area, with its license plate missing and its holder already bent backward.
Ernest Webster, a 48-year-old mower, went to an area near the vehicle Monday when he recognized it as shown on a TV report. After Webster called 911, police arrived and discovered paperwork inside the car, reported the Detroit Free Press.
"I said, 'Man, that looks like that Papa John's car,'" Webster said, as quoted by the newspaper. "I looked inside and it was really clean. I called my brother-in-law, who is a cop, and he told me to call 911."
The robbery of Papa John's Camaro was widely publicized that police believe it was highly likely that the thieves were forced to distance themselves from it. Up to $10,000 was announced as reward for anyone providing tips which would lead to the thieves.
"We believe the pressure of the media forced them to dump the vehicle," according to Sgt. Jonathan Parnell, a representative from the Detroit Police Department's commercial auto theft unit, told The Detroit News.
"Because of the intense media pressure, we were able to get the vehicle recovered here between two vacant homes," Parnell added, saying that police worked non-stop 24 hours on the Papa John's Camaro robbery, as well as two other vehicle thefts during the Dream Cruise.
The Woodward Dream Cruise is an event held annually, and which features classic cars spanning miles along Woodward. The event draws hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The Papa John Camaro is a replica of the original 1971 Camaro Z28 owned by the pizza company, reported NBC News.
The original gold-and-black car was sold by Papa John's founder John Schnatter decades before in order to aid the development of his father's tavern in Indiana, which eventually led to the creation of Papa John's. Schnatter reportedly received $2,800 for the Camaro, and he used this money to save their family business and later launched it as Papa John's.
In 2009, Schnatter was able to buy the vehicle back following a years-long search.
Someone stole Papa John's beloved Camaro: https://t.co/9ZgEMG9Rgq pic.twitter.com/BuGLhKF1j5
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) August 18, 2015
Papa John's Camaro recovered, stolen collector cars still missing from cruise, per @Fox2Ingrid https://t.co/XSi3TY2gjB pic.twitter.com/EhW0Wf8fQq — FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) August 18, 2015
