John Travolta's stolen classic Mercedes found chopped to pieces

Authorities arrested two men they say stole John Travolta's classic Mercedes-Benz. He left it parked back in September for about 10 minutes in a Santa Monica residential neighborhood and then never saw it again.

During the investigation, Santa Monica police detectives said they obtained video footage of the vehicle and the suspects as it was being taken from the 1400 block of Berkeley Street.

A countywide auto theft task force broke the case open and said parts from the actor's 1970 Mercedes 280 SL convertible were found late last year on the proverbial chopping room floor.

The men specialized in stealing classic cars and chopping them up, making money by selling the lucrative body parts. But sources familiar with the case said it wasn't exactly a sophisticated operation.

The break in the case took place last fall, when Santa Monica police acted on a tip that came in after they released a flier about Travolta's stolen car, according to sources familiar with the case. The tip identified suspect Michael Green.That led to the Dec. 6 arrest of Green, who was on probation after pleading guilty to petty theft with priors in connection with stealing jewelry from a Sears store.

D.L. Rayford Jr. also was arrested in the case and has already pleaded no contest to grand theft auto. He has been sentenced to 16 months in state prison, Los Angeles County prosecutors said.

If you or someone you know is facing grand theft charges, the best thing you can do is hire a criminal defense lawyer. Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Robert Helfend has over 20 years of experience and the resources to help. Contact his law office today.