Mastodawn

(UPDATE: ALMOST 100% sure this is a police department bait car. GRRRRRRRR. Good thing I didn't pop the trunk or open the door)

Mystery abandoned car. Paper still there, hasn't been touched. Glove box is locked (reachable from the open window). May be at a standstill, apparently since it is in private property, the property owner (big box retailer's landlord) would have to get it towed and/or report to the police department, as the vehicle has not been reported stolen. Has been there since 2018 or 2019. (note: hmm, maybe it IS a bait car for the local PD?!) #mystery

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

Hmm, now I think it IS a bait car. Hope my checking for registration isn't going to get me in trouble. I called the police department to report it, and they weren't interested in a report. They said to call the manager of the store there. I called the manager of the store, and he made up some story, and then I said it's been there for years and it has expired plates, and he said "okay, thanks". I am now kinda thinking this absolutely is a bait car 😡 #baitcar #policing #mystery

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

- Manager pinpointed where it was in the parking lot
- He did not ask what make or model the car was
- He lied about how long it was there

Ozzie D, NP-hard

@ai6yr fascinating, disquieting thread. I'd missed your Malibu encounters too. I don't know what lessons to draw, except that if you dig just a little under the surface of any society, be prepared to leap back fast, as scorpions may boil out.

@ai6yr Hmmmm! Yeah, that would make me angry too. I'm angrier that the manager of the store would allow it there but maybe he didn't have a choice. If I owned the store, I wouldn't allow that kind of thing. I'd tell the cops to kick rocks.

FreddyB Aviation Photography Jul 29, 2025

@housepanther @ai6yr he 100% has a choice if he owns the property

If they’re renting, then maybe the property owner is allowing it if it’s a bait car.

Scott Miller 🇺🇦 🇺🇸Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr It might be a police bait car, but do you know personally it's been unmoved for more than 5 years, or are you guessing that based on something else.

I'd think that if it doesn't get stolen within say 2-8 weeks, they'd be smart enough to realize it didn't work, to try again somewhere else.

The store manager's reaction seems weird, but probably ordinary, like they have a buddy working overseas that is too cheap/broke to pay for storage.

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@scottmiller42 Registration expired in 2019

Scott Miller 🇺🇦 🇺🇸Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr Yeah, expired tags and dirty feels like something they'd have on a bait car to make it feel abandoned/ripe for theivery. But if it's really been there over a year, I'm inclined to think not.

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@scottmiller42 Either that, or it's the manager's buddy storing a car there.

Scott Miller 🇺🇦 🇺🇸Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr Ayup. And the window open... I had an old car with power windows. The window sagged and I determined the mechanism broke. A buddy helped me take interior panel off and wedged it closed with some 5 gal paint stirrers. After living with it like that a couple weeks, I decided I didn't want to pay the estimated cost of repair for a rear window on a car that close to the grave.

My point is, some plastic bit may have broke and the window sagged on buddy's car.

Ben Aveling Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr I don't think they'd leave a bait car in a single place for that long. Is it a high-auto-theft area?

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@BenAveling Yes...

Ben Aveling Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr then maybe. But crooks talk. A bait car that never moves isn’t going to catch any local crooks
Maybe if you get a lot of visiting thieves…

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@BenAveling Yes... mostly visitors.

Ben Aveling Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr Then probably is. I can't imagine that it could be there that long without someone having broken into that glove box by now.

Frobbotzim Jul 30, 2025

@ai6yr Well, just a thought: got any old servers or defunct consumer electronics you've been meaning to drop off at the e-waste facility? Why not add more bait? Saving yourself a trip while making someone else's day a bit more strange is amongst the noblest of pursuits. And if asked, leaning into surreality will spare you further trouble nine times out of you'll be fine, seriously.

AI6YR Ben Jul 30, 2025

@Frobbotzim 😂

FreddyB Aviation Photography Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr that explains why I saw this at the post office today🤔(chat gtp used as there’s no way I’m this creative)

Knut Branson Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr someday they'll have to repave the parking lot.

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@gooser3000 LOL

Diane Jul 29, 2025

Can you see the VIN through the windshield? There's probably some databases that can find an owner by VIN.

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@alienghic I have the CarFAX for the car, LOL... was curious enough to pay for it. No owner name though.

Diane Jul 29, 2025

How does a car not have an owner name?

Is that a privacy thing I can learn how to do?

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@alienghic California prohibits disclosure of that to anyone who is not law enforcement, or handling the car for sales purposes.

Diane Jul 29, 2025

Oh cool.

Thanks California! 90% of the time this is the right thing to do.

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@alienghic Apparently California has "Driver Privacy Protection Act" which prohibits disclosure of the name of a driver based on their license plate and/or VIN of a vehicle. So, nope, can't go any further on this one.

BegoniaArizona Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr Years ago This American Life did an episode on “bait cars” that law enforcement planted to make unwarranted arrests. The episode is called “Bait and Switch” Please be careful! It’s Act One called Neighborhood Watch

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@BegoniaArizona Oh my...

Yeah, not doing anything else here...

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/394/transcript

BegoniaArizona Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr dang intended to catch criminals but in this case entrapping do-gooders. No fair

Scott Miller 🇺🇦 🇺🇸Jul 29, 2025

@BegoniaArizona @ai6yr TBF, as I was skimming the story, about the time one of them says "there might be a dead body in the trunk", my immediate thought was "and that's why we're going to stop and call the police now". Like naw, if you think there might be a dead body in the trunk (not a live person inside banging to be let out), you don't need to go any farther.

@ai6yr @BegoniaArizona Just curious but how do you guys feel about the use of bait cars? I am conflicted. On one hand it gets a would-be care thief off the streets but on another it's tempting criminality. I really hate that the program is being funded by major insurance companies though. That pisses me off. We are paying enough money in insurance premiums. I am not happy about my money funding programs such as these.

NosirrahSec 🏴‍☠️ guillotine enthusiast Jul 29, 2025

@housepanther @ai6yr @BegoniaArizona simple thought experiment:

"What if the bait car wasn't there?"

Would this car thief 100% have stolen a different car? Ever?

It is impossible to say. That could have been been the only attractive enough target they could find, and perhaps thought about not doing crime anymore and get a job.

But then they happened across this juicy target, imagined up for pigs to create crime where it didn't exist before.

It's a hypothetical, but it's not impossible that this is a very common occurrence.

Entrapment is disgusting, legal or not.

@NosirrahSec @ai6yr @BegoniaArizona I agree. Entrapment is disgusting.

Anne Ominous Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr @BegoniaArizona

in Chicago, the police planted an unlocked truck full of cool clothes in a Black neighborhood, and then arrested people who went for the stuff

https://www.vice.com/en/article/chicago-police-left-a-bait-truck-full-of-nikes-in-a-predominantly-black-neighborhood/

Chicago police left a “bait truck” full of Nikes in a predominantly black neighborhood

The "bait truck" outraged community activists, but the practice of "baiting" with everything from cars to cell phones to porch packages is a common police tactic.

VICE

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@rustoleumlove @BegoniaArizona Holy heck...

"The practice of “baiting” is widespread in American policing to draw out potential criminals, whether it’s using undercover agents to buy or sell drugs or pose as sex workers, or using decoy trucks full of merchandise, cars, bikes, computers or cell phones, or leaving packages with GPS devices on people’s porches. But even when it works and the arrests make headlines, they rarely spark outrage."

Anne Ominous Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr @BegoniaArizona

this is the same organization that is well-practiced in 'civil forfeiture' too... to the tune of BILLIONS

the police are just a criminal racket, IMO.
we pay them, and they steal from us and beat us

https://ij.org/press-release/new-report-finds-civil-forfeiture-rakes-in-billions-each-year-does-not-fight-crime-2/

New Report Finds Civil Forfeiture Rakes in Billions Each Year, Does Not Fight Crime - Institute for Justice

ARLINGTON, Va.—Nationwide, civil forfeiture laws put innocent property owners at risk and encourage law enforcement to police for profit, with billions of dollars forfeited each year. So finds the latest edition of “Policing for Profit: The […]

Institute for Justice

NosirrahSec 🏴‍☠️ guillotine enthusiast Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr @rustoleumlove @BegoniaArizona pigs are dangerous.

I don't know why we tolerate those dangerous animals running around.

BegoniaArizona Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr @rustoleumlove well baiting helps them pad crime statistics too so they can push for more money

BegoniaArizona Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr I apologize that I didn’t take note of your thread earlier. I will pitch in on bail if …

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@BegoniaArizona Well, I hope trying to figure out if the car is abandoned is not a legal violation here. 😡

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@BegoniaArizona And THANK YOU for making me aware of that. I called a report into the police (to get my phone number and call on record), though they wouldn't take the report, and also called the manager (and his behavior very much confirmed it is probably a bait car). Hopefully they don't come banging down doors here for me checking if the glove box was open (through an open window, did not open the door).

BegoniaArizona Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr you have only the best intentions, always. And you didn’t break anything. Plus you have your thread of posts. Your best intentions are well documented. And thousands of folks will have your back if needed.

BegoniaArizona Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr please don’t lose sleep over this. You could contact your local independent newspaper and ask if they want to do a story about baiting.

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@BegoniaArizona LOL having had a way bigger issue with a police department.... Going to chill on this unless there's a knock at the door for "sticking your hand in an open window"

Dunno if you were following me when this happened. I was wondering if I was going to be pushed off a cliff for awhile. (and still watch my back)

https://malibudailynews.com/recent-skeletal-remains-found-in-malibu-canyon-a-stark-reminder-of-the-confirmation-of-mitrice-richardsons-mummified-remains-found-in-dark-canyon-thirteen-years-ago/

Recent Skeletal Remains Found in Malibu Canyon A Stark Reminder of the Confirmation of Mitrice Richardson’s Mummified Remains Found in Dark Canyon Thirteen Years Ago - Malibu Daily News

Today marks 13 years since the LA County Medical Examiner's office confirmed the identification of Mitrice Richardson's partially mummified remains, found just three days before on August 9th, 2010, in a remote area in Malibu Canyon known to locals as "Dark Canyon". At the time of the discovery, Park Rangers were surveying an area previously

Malibu Daily News -

Kerry Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr
‼️

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@kerrytani LOL yeah, that was not a fun experience, and I still watch my rear view mirror, because I don't know WTH is going on over there.

BegoniaArizona Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr holy *Gulp* shit. Hopefully Ventura is a safer place than LA. Let me/us know if there is anything we can do to support you.

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@BegoniaArizona LOL I just tell people if I am mysteriously murdered, you know what police department is involved. 🤪

BegoniaArizona Jul 30, 2025

@ai6yr I can’t favorite that but I hear you. 🙏🙏🙏

@ai6yr I witnessed an undercover cop as a prostitute “sting” go down on a side road while looking for a parking spot late one night. I passed them talking to a group of men and I felt something was off. Before I even turned off the block, I saw the men get arrested in my rear view mirror.

@BegoniaArizona

AI6YR Ben Jul 30, 2025

@tweetsjen @BegoniaArizona Yeesh

TomKrajci 🇺🇦 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️Jul 29, 2025

And there is still air in the tires after all these years?

Hippy Steve Jul 29, 2025

@KrajciTom @ai6yr

Looks pretty clean for sitting 6 years. The ajar window is especially suspicious.

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@exador23 @KrajciTom Now I'm thinking I should just call it in as a suspicious vehicle to get myself on record

Chalk Outline Hieroglyph Jul 29, 2025

Maybe report a strange smell coming from the vicinity of the trunk...

AccordionBruce Jul 29, 2025

@chieroglyph @ai6yr
We had one car on our street that looked like it was abandoned, and we didn’t know how long it would take to get towed

Then I noticed that it was parked on a hill and leaking gasoline ⛽️ and so it was flowing in the gutter at least a block down towards the main downtown boulevard

That car got towed within the hour

Coach Pāṇini ®Jul 29, 2025

The car has been there for 6 or 7 years?!?

AI6YR Ben Jul 29, 2025

@paninid Based on the spiderwebs, a long time. Registration expired in 2019.

Kusuriya (kk7hut)Jul 29, 2025

@ai6yr Give it a nice hearty flaming cocktail :D