Classic Car Lover Seeks Help in Finding Stolen ‘Stang

Modern-Day Horse Thieves: Vintage 1966 Ford Mustang Stolen From Locked Garage

Do you love Mustangs enough to steal one? Apparently, that’s what happened recently in Jacksonville, Florida. Jennifer Adamson’s 1966 Ford Mustang was stolen out of her locked garage where she lives in the Oceanway neighborhood.

Sure, most of us would gladly accept a ‘Stang if it was given to us, but otherwise we want to know that our hard-earned cash paid for it so we can proudly show off our awesome ride. Adamson told Action News that her parents gave the classic car to her 30 years ago for her 15th birthday. “It doesn’t mean as much to anyone else but me,” Adamson said. Thirty years of memories and joyrides later, the car seems to have vanished into thin air. Detectives aren’t even able to dust for fingerprints due to the way that the garage was built.

Horse theft was very common throughout the world prior to widespread car ownership. Back in 1854, the Anti-Horse Thief Association was founded for the purposes of protecting horses and other livestock from theft, and for recovering such property. Men suspected of being thieves would be pursued by members of the organization and often hanged without trial.

Horse — and unfortunately Mustang — thieves are still common today. In September 2015, a prized ’67 Mustang Fastback owned by Mike Chadwick was stolen and recovered unharmed on the same day in the San Ramon neighborhood of Oakland, California. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, over 400,000 Ford Mustangs were stolen between 1981 and 2011. And apparently, keeping the car in a locked garage doesn’t help, as is the case with Adamson.

“My husband was here doing some work, and he opened the door to put the lawnmower away and noticed the car was just missing and called me and told me immediately and I was just kind of in shock,” Adamson said. She’s asking for the public’s help in locating her prized possession and is offering a $1,000 reward.

Now let’s saddle up, pardner, and go catch us a horse thief!