In a brazen heist straight out of a Hollywood movie, a cat burglar drove off a $200,000 Lamborghini owned by Santa Rosa celebrity chef Guy Fieri and disappeared across the Golden Gate Bridge a year ago.
The exotic sports car finally turned up over the weekend, stashed in a Point Richmond storage shed that, according to investigators, belongs to a teenage boy.
Marin County sheriff's deputies arrested a 17-year-old San Rafael boy on suspicion of possessing stolen property, among other charges.
"The car and everything taken from the storage unit is being processed as we speak," Sgt. Mark Hale said Monday. "We're actively investigating if he was involved in the actual theft."
Fieri expressed gratitude Monday to investigators who recovered his car.
"I would like to thank the Marin County Sheriff's Office and the Mill Valley Police Department for their hard work and effort in the recovery of my car," Fieri said Monday in a statement distributed to Bay Area news media. "I'm glad we can put this behind us, and feel better knowing that justice is being served."
Fieri, a Santa Rosa chef who launched the Johnny Garlic's and Tex Wasabi's restaurant chains, rose to fame on the Food Network in 2006 when he won "The Next Food Network Star." He now hosts several shows on the cable TV channel, including "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," and stars on the NBC game show "Minute To Win It."
His canary yellow sports car was stolen March 8, 2011, from a San Francisco car dealership. The thief climbed to the roof of the Van Ness Avenue dealership then rappelled through a skylight, cut the lock on a garage door and drove away, San Francisco police said.
Security cameras later spotted the sleek 2008 Lamborghini Spyder Gallardo convertible heading over the Golden Gate Bridge into Tiburon.
Marin County deputies found the car Saturday during an investigation into a April 13 drive-by shooting in Mill Valley.
The teen, whose name was withheld because he is a minor, is suspected of shooting into a parked truck on Evergreen Avenue, Hale said.
Two people inside the vehicle said a motorcyclist clad in black clothing and wearing a black helmet rode up to their truck at about 11:30 a.m. and fired a handgun at them from close range, Hale said.
They suffered minor injuries from broken glass, officials said.
On Saturday, Marin County detectives tracked the teen to CSI Storage in Point Richmond and arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder, resisting arrest as well as possession of a stolen vehicle, stolen property and a loaded firearm, Hale said.
They located a motorcycle and other items believed to be used during the shooting, Hale said.
Detectives were still trying to determine if the teen was involved in the theft of Fieri's sports car, Hale said.
The teen was held Monday at the Marin County Juvenile Hall without bail. A judge Tuesday will determine whether the youth will be tried in adult or juvenile court, Hale said.
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