Here’s the latest post in our “Be On the Lookout” series, where we highlight stolen items and ask you to help by reporting any sighting to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

UPDATE 7/30: The Lost Coast Outpost received the following email from Leif Nelson, the owner of the stolen car and surfboard. His response was so heartfelt, we thought it should be reprinted.

The surfboard and the car have been recovered thanks to the hard work of BLM Ranger Garrett Sarcinella. The suspects attempted to pawn the surfboard at Bob’s Pawndemonium [yesterday], but the good people at Bob’s had already been made aware of the stolen surfboard.  They recovered the surfboards but the perps fled the scene. Getting the surfboard back made me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. Little did I know it was about to get better. Later this afternoon Officer Sarcinella himself discovered the car while cruising the streets of Eureka.

I got the call at 5:00PM. “I found your car.” I was shocked.

Not only had my surfboard been returned but now I was getting my car back as well. I can’t say enough about the effort that Officer Sarcinella put into this investigation. My car was stolen on Sunday afternoon, and recovered on Tuesday afternoon. On Monday morning my first conversation with Officer Sarcinella was at 7:30 in the morning and my last was at 7:30 at night. He was even going to work if on his day off if the car wasn’t recovered …. His investigation lead him to my surfboard, my car, and the names of a few suspects that he has yet to question.

Many of us (surfers at the north jetty) have questioned the necessity of the Rangers. some of the common comments might sound like this: What do they even do? Why do we need them out here? They’re just out here to harass us.  I might have been one of these surfers at one time but in these last few days I have learned my lesson. BLM Ranger Garret Sarcinella went above and beyond to help me when I needed it and I can’t thank him enough. 

Ranger Sarcinella asked us to remind surfers, “they should not hide their keys in the sand, gas tank, bumper, or tires because the criminals know to check there.”

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Original Post: The surf may be up but one surfer is stranded on the land. On Sunday afternoon at the North Jetty, a white 2003 Ford Explorer with license plate number 5CLZ110 was heisted.  To make it even more of a bummer, along with the car they also made off with his new custom surfboard which was made for him by local artist/shaper Lucas Thornton.

According to the surfer’s brother, “the board was really special to him and he’s probably just as bummed about losing it as he is about losing his car.”

Below is a photo of the board and of a vehicle like the stolen car. However, the missing Explorer has paint chipping off the front of the hood on the driver’s side and pipe insulation attached to the rack with electrical tape. 

US Ranger Garrett Sarcinella from the Bureau of Land Management wanted to reassure people who come to the North Jetty that there is relatively little crime in the area and his agency is able to respond quickly and thoroughly to what does occur. He stated, “Our Rangers are out there to ensure safety and security for all recreators on public lands. We have the time and resources to invest in a full investigation.”

If anyone does have a tip about where to find the vehicle and the surfboard, they can call the BLM at (707) 825 0377

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