Reunited: Police find man's stolen Camaro after 33 years

NORTH CANTON, OH (WOIO) - For some, a car is much more than just a machine. One North Canton man knows this all too well, especially after his 1968 Chevy Camaro was stolen back in the '80s.

The last time Ron Reolfi remembers sitting in the Camaro, he was a 19-year-old student at the University of Akron.

"I worked in a grocery store, and I was in it doing my homework on my break. I went back in the store, came out about 20 minutes later, it was gone," said Reolfi.

He and his father worked on the car for almost a year. He says he was only able to drive it for two weeks before it was stolen.

"I can remember looking at the light I parked in under, and it not being there, and being crushed," Reolfi recalled. "When it was first stolen, I drove around for weeks, even months trying to find it."

Months turned into years. Reolfi went on to own several other cars. Then last year, the phone rang with news he never expected: Police called and said they found the car in Delaware after 33 years.

The state traced the car's Vehicle Identification Number back to Reolfi's title, after someone tried to sell it.

After a year of legally trying to prove he was the rightful owner, Reolfi was finally cleared to go to Delaware to reclaim his Camaro.

There was another surprise: The car was in better condition than ever.

"Someone has improved, really everything underneath the car, from the brakes to the engine," said Reolfi.

The car now sits in Reolfi's father's driveway in Canton, where it will stay.

He says he has no plans of selling it. After all, 33 years apart is long enough.

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