Police recover classic Chevy Impala, but thieves had done some modifying

The owner of a red 1959 Chevrolet Impala that was stolen last summer got mixed news: Police had tracked down and recovered the classic car, but thieves had repainted it green and made other modifications.

And since the owner had cashed out his last-minute insurance policy after the theft, the car goes to the firm, not him.

Acting on a tip, detectives recovered the Impala from a chop shop in Hawthorne last week after it was stolen nearly eight months ago on Cruise Night, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

The body-shop owner, Abel Saucedo Jr., 58, was arrested Feb. 2 on suspicion of receiving stolen property and operating a chop shop, according to police reports.

Read more: "Stolen Impala found modified."

-- Veronica Rocha, Glendale News-Press/Times Community News