A Florida millionaire, who had hired an airplane to aid in the search for his stolen purple Rolls-Royce, has been reunited with his car thanks to a tip on Instagram.
The owner of a limited-edition Rolls-Royce model had to resort to using an aerial banner to offer a reward for information after his rare exotic car was stolen in North Miami, Florida. Bob Benyo, president of Aerial Banners, found himself in a desperate search for his purple Rolls-Royce Wraith model, which he had purchased as an anniversary gift for his wife. The limited edition 2016 Rolls-Royce Wraith is one of only six produced by the British luxury car manufacturer in that colour and is believed to be worth $200,000. Speaking about the theft, Benyo said, "My wife deserved that car. It was an anniversary gift. I've worked hard all my life to get the things I have, just for someone to come and steal them? I wish I had been home when they came."
The robbery was captured on surveillance footage, showing two individuals in white shirts exiting a silver Mercedes-Benz sedan and running to Benyo's driveway. They entered the garage by breaking the left doors and stole the keys to the Rolls-Royce model, which were hanging on the wall, according to the owner. The thieves then fled with the ultra-rare luxury car before anyone could notice what had happened. The Miami millionaire also believes that the culprits likely followed his wife and children home on Thursday before stealing the car. "It's an invasion of privacy," he said. "My kids and my wife were right behind that gate. This is like a home invasion. Thank God no one went inside."
In a desperate bid to find his stolen Rolls-Royce, Benyo hired pilot Rob "Maverick" Ramirez to fly above South Florida with a sign that read, "Stolen Purple Rolls-Royce - Reward." The sign also displayed his phone number, with a note that anyone with information would be rewarded with $5,000. He also believes that the thieves were interested in his Aston Martin parked next to the Rolls-Royce car. However, only two people entered Benyo's house, indicating that one of them was the getaway driver. Crime scene investigators also collected surveillance footage along with DNA samples.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. According to the latest news, Benyo has been reunited with his beloved Rolls-Royce model after receiving a tip on Instagram. "It was a hot tip among the 140 other tips that came in," Benyo told WTVJ. "It was offered for rent in an Instagram chat group." There is no information on whether the car thieves have been apprehended or not, and we do not know if the person who provided the crucial information to the Miami millionaire has been rewarded.
