A YouTuber had his prized 1997 Subaru Sandbar stolen from a warehouse in Los Angeles. The car was taken when the electric gate was left open due to a power outage caused by a rainstorm. The owner made a video about the theft, which went viral on YouTube and Twitter, getting over 8.9 million views. The owner's followers on Reddit and Twitter helped track down the car to a specific location in Sylmar, LA. A team, including the owner's assistant and a friend, went to retrieve the car but were met by a man who claimed to be in possession of the car and demanded $10,000 in exchange for its return. However, before the situation escalated, the man fled the scene when the police were called. The car was later found at a mall outlet, and with the help of the police, it was recovered and returned to the owner.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator's 1997 Subaru Sandbar was stolen from a warehouse in Los Angeles.
2. The theft occurred during a rainstorm when the electric gate at the warehouse was not working.
3. The thief found a spare key in the car and drove it away.
4. The narrator made a video about the theft, which went viral on YouTube.
5. The narrator tweeted about the theft and received 8.9 million views on the tweet.
6. Reddit users helped locate the car by posting a video of a car that looked like the stolen Subaru Sandbar.
7. The car was spotted in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles.
8. The narrator's assistant, Nick Yingling, went to investigate and found the car, but it was gone by the time he arrived.
9. Reddit users continued to help track the car's location, and it was eventually found at a mall outlet.
10. The police were called, and they arrived just as the thief was trying to leave with the car.
11. The thief ran away, and the police recovered the car.
12. The car is now back in the narrator's possession, and he plans to repair and keep it.
13. The narrator is considering getting the car's keys changed to prevent future theft.
14. The narrator credits a community effort, including Reddit users and his assistant, for helping to recover the car.