Man Tried to Sell Stolen Car Back to Owner: Police

A Forest Park man is behind bars at the Fulton County jail after police say he tried to sell a stolen car back to its rightful owner Wednesday afternoon.

Tony Le, 23, allegedly contacted Joel Larsgaard and told him that he had come into possession of Larsgaard’s stolen Nissan Leaf and was willing to return it for $150, an Atlanta police report says.

Larsgaard spoke with police, who decided to set up a sting operation to catch the suspect in the act. The transfer was to take place at the Exxon station at 1521 Peachtree St. NE, the report says.

A WSB-TV employee filming the incident told police he had seen Le get out of the stolen car, and an undercover officer attempted to apprehend him at the gas station. According to the report, Le sprinted south out of the parking lot and was soon being chased by four uniformed police officers.

Officers were able to catch up to Le once he crossed over Peachtree Street and arrested him after a brief struggle, the report says. Le had two cell phones in his pocket when he was arrested and had dropped a gold iPhone while running.

Le has been charged with theft by receiving stolen property and obstruction of law enforcement, Fulton County jail records show.