Los Angeles, Ca
Rebuilt 1940s-era plane stolen, burned, used for scrap, owner says
Authorities recovered an oversized Airstream trailer, which housed a vintage single-engine aircraft, both of which were stolen from a warehouse parking lot in Torrance in a theft that was caught on surveillance cameras earlier this month.
The brazen heist occurred on Jan. 3 in the 22800 block of Lockness Avenue near Sepulveda Boulevard.
Security footage captured the moment a suspect driving a white truck pulled up, hitched the Airstream trailer to their vehicle and hauled it away with the 1940s-era two-seat Piper PA-15/17 plane inside.
“I’m pretty devastated,” the plane’s owner and flight instructor, Anis Pradhan, said. “They broke a lock pad on the gate, opened the gate and they came in and just pulled it out of there.”
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Anis Pradhan’s beloved vintage Piper airplane was stolen while it was being stored in Torrance on Jan. 3, 2024. (KTLA) -
1948 Vagabond plane stolen from a warehouse parking lot in Torrance on Jan. 3, 2024. -
Anis Pradhan’s beloved vintage Piper airplane was stolen while it was being stored inside a custom Airstream trailer in Torrance on Jan. 3, 2024. (Anis Pradhan) -
The suspect’s white pickup truck arriving at a Torrance warehouse parking lot to steal a vintage Piper airplane on Jan. 3, 2024. (Anis Pradhan) -
The suspect’s white pickup truck arriving at a Torrance warehouse parking lot to steal a vintage Piper airplane on Jan. 3, 2024. (Anis Pradhan) -
Anis Pradhan’s beloved vintage Piper airplane was stolen while it was being stored inside a custom Airstream trailer in Torrance on Jan. 3, 2024. (Anis Pradhan) -
Remains of a custom Airstream tailor built to house a 1948 Vagabond single-engine plane discovered in Long Beach on Jan. 14, 2024. -
Flight instructor Anis Pradhan. (GoFundMe)
For more than a decade, Pradhan has been meticulously rebuilding the vintage aircraft. It was not only his passion but was meant to be used for training underprivileged children who aspired to be pilots in his home country of Nepal as part of a nonprofit effort.
“I’ve spent so many hours, thousands of hours, putting this aircraft together and in a matter of minutes, it just disappeared,” he said of the U.S. built plane.
The aircraft, which was uninsured because it was in storage, measured 22 feet in length, 35 feet in width and weighed over 1,000 pounds. It had wings that folded up, allowing it to be stored in the custom-built trailer.
Authorities discovered the burnt-out trailer at Daisy Avenue and 17th Street overnight. It had been completely dismantled and destroyed, with the classic airplane that was stored inside the trailer gone.
However, in photos obtained by KTLA, the 1940’s-era Vagabond plane had been inside the trailer and appeared to have been burned down to the frame along with it. According to witnesses, the remains of the plane were then hauled away by three suspects between Jan. 9-12.
“I was informed of it’s location by an anonymous person that works in the area, who sent photos of the trailer before it had been scrapped but after it had burned,” Pradhan said in a GofundMe organized to get a new plane. “By the time the informant found how to contact me, it had already been scrapped.”
KTLA is awaiting confirmation on these details from the police department, but those with knowledge of the custom trailer and vintage aircraft said that along with the 4 rebuilt engines, four propellers and vintage spare parts stolen and destroyed, the loss is valued at around $250,000.
Southern California remains under an extreme heat warning as residents brace for the hottest day of the week on Wednesday.
“It will be roasty toasty in the valleys, lower mountain elevations and far interior, with highs ranging from 100 to 110 degrees,” the National Weather Service said. The warmest conditions are expected in the western San Fernando Valley.
An extreme heat warning remains in effect for much of Southern California until 8 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters say there is a high risk of heat-related illness for anyone outdoors for extended periods. Heat advisories are also in place for areas along the coast.
“Highs for today: 98 in Ojai, 100 in Ontario. Temecula, good morning to you, 100 degrees expected there. 112 in Palm Springs. Unbelievably hot,” KTLA’s Kirk Hawkins said Wednesday morning.
Residents are urged to adjust their afternoon plans to limit strenuous outdoor activities during the heat of the day, stay hydrated and check in on elderly neighbors and loved ones.
The Weather Service said record highs are slightly warmer than those forecast for Wednesday. As a result, despite the extremely hot conditions, few, if any, temperature records are expected to be broken.
A few degrees of cooling are expected Thursday, but a more significant cooldown will arrive Friday as onshore winds increase.
Afternoon highs are expected to cool even more over the weekend, with below-average temperatures possible in some areas.
A Chino Hills man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a violent incident at a local liquor store, authorities announced Tuesday.
The July 13 incident occurred around 5 p.m. in the 4000 block of Descanso Avenue, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, which responded to reports of a stabbing at the location.
Arriving deputies found a stabbing victim inside the store and rendered medical aid until personnel with the Chino Valley Fire District arrived. The victim was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he remains in stable condition.
While being treated at the scene, investigators said the victim repeatedly stated that someone named Alex was responsible for the attack.
The suspect, now identified as Hayden Alexander Marquez, 30, was located not far from the liquor store and taken into custody, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators did not provide a motive for the stabbing or detail the relationship between the two men.
Marquez was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of attempted murder.
Anyone with information about the investigation is urged to contact the Chino Hills Police Station at 909-364-2000. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME or submit tips online at www.wetip.com.
An early morning crash involving a big rig scattered cinder blocks across the northbound 101 Freeway, prompting a SigAlert in the San Fernando Valley Tuesday. The incident was reported around 4:10 a.m. when a big rig overturned on the freeway at Tampa Avenue. The crash occurred on a stretch of the northbound 101 that curves […]
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