A1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL stolen during a residential burglary last year has been recovered and returned to its owners, San Francisco police announced.

The burglary occurred on Nov. 23, 2024, around 10:27 a.m. In the 100 block of Turquoise Way. Officers learned the classic car, considered a family heirloom, had been taken from the property, police said.

Over the following months, SFPD’s Auto Theft Unit and citywide plainclothes officers identified two suspects: Michael Demetrescu and Anthony Norman Fretty.

Demetrescu was arrested on March 6, 2025, and booked into San Francisco County Jail for suspicions of second-degree burglary and vehicle theft, officers noted.

A stolen 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL was recovered on June 26 at a shipping facility in Richmond after it was listed for sale and was being prepared for export to the Netherlands. San Francisco Police Department arrested two suspects in the case, and the car has been returned to its owners. (San Francisco Police Department via Bay City News)

On June 23, investigators were contacted by the California DMV’s Investigation Division, which discovered the stolen Mercedes listed for sale and set to be exported to the Netherlands. The car was recovered three days later at a shipping facility in Richmond, according to the SFPD.

Fretty was arrested on July 17 and booked for vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, and delaying an investigation.

Despite the arrests, the case remains under active investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call SFPD at (415) 575-4444 or text TIP411, starting the message with “SFPD.”