A Rolls-Royce reported stolen in Texas earlier this week turned up unexpectedly outside an Italian restaurant in suburban Chicago, drawing attention from surprised diners and leading to a swift arrest.
Customers first noticed the luxury vehicle parked outside the restaurant without license plates. The missing plates immediately raised suspicions, prompting a call to police. When officers arrived, they inspected the vehicle identification number visible beneath the windshield. The number matched a Rolls-Royce that had vanished while being transported from Texas to North Carolina days earlier.
Rather than towing the car immediately, officers waited nearby to see who would return for it. Their patience paid off. A 31-year-old man later identified as Husamuldeen Abed approached the vehicle, produced a set of keys and unlocked the doors.
Authorities said Abed lives less than an hour from where the car was found. Investigators also discovered he had a license plate that had been reported stolen from a 2006 Audi. Police said he was carrying tools that could be used to attach the plate to the Rolls-Royce.
It remains unclear how the vehicle made its way from Texas to Illinois. Investigators have not determined whether Abed purchased the car after it arrived in the Chicago area or drove it north without registration after it was stolen during transport.
Abed was taken into custody without incident. He now faces felony charges of aggravated unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle and possession of stolen property.
The high-end car, meant for delivery across state lines, instead became the centerpiece of an unusual discovery outside a neighborhood restaurant before authorities intervened.
All parties are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Shawn Henry