If at first you don’t succeed…

That seems to be the motto of a man charged with allegedly stealing the same C7 Corvette – twice in the same month.

“The Case of the Determined Stingray Thief” begins on Jan. 4 when a Washington State Patrol trooper spotted a yellow 2014 Corvette with no license plate on SR 410 in Pierce County. When the trooper attempted a stop, the driver – identified as Duop Tiet Pidor – allegedly hit the gas.

Investigators say the Corvette weaved through traffic, crossed double-yellow lines, and even drove into oncoming lanes while trying to escape. The chase ended only after troopers executed a PIT maneuver, sending the Corvette stuck up an embankment.

Pidor was arrested at the scene and booked into Pierce County Jail. He reportedly told authorities he had purchased the Corvette in Oregon and that it had been rented out to others. The car was impounded and stored at Hometown Towing and Recovery in South Prairie.

Nearly four weeks later, deputies were called back to the tow yard – the Corvette was gone.

According to investigators, surveillance footage from Jan. 30 shows a light colored Tesla dropping off a suspect around 2:46 a.m. The person ran toward the fenced lot, and moments later, the Corvette was seen driving away. Deputies found the gate locks cut and fresh tire tracks leading out of the property.

Detectives later obtained cellphone data that allegedly placed Pidor at the tow yard at least nine times between Jan. 15 and Jan. 30, often late at night. Investigators described the repeated visits as “surveillance and scouting activity.” Employees also reported that Pidor and family members had contacted the business multiple times and had visited the lot to retrieve belongings from the car.

The stolen Corvette was eventually found in Seattle by the King County Sheriff’s Office. Court documents say cellphone data again placed Pidor’s device near the recovery location.

Prosecutors filed the burglary and theft charges in May, several months after the initial eluding case stemming from the Jan. 4 chase.

Authorities have not said where the Corvette is being stored now — but it’s safe to assume the security has been upgraded.

Source:
Road and Track

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