Stolen ’62 Chevy Nova once owned by Green Day singer found abandoned Tuesday

A search spurred by Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong for a beloved 1962 Chevrolet Nova II stolen during a recent commercial burglary in Costa Mesa has ended, after sheriff’s officials on Tuesday located the vehicle in El Modena.

Costa Mesa Police Department spokeswoman Roxi Fyad confirmed Wednesday the vehicle was recovered by sheriff’s deputies Tuesday in a portion of unincorporated Orange County, near the city of Orange, after a CMPD detective acted on tips from the public and asked deputies to be on the lookout.

The vehicle was found empty, and no arrests have been made, Fyad reported.

Armstrong had requested the public’s help in finding the vehicle — described as a car that had “been in the [Green Day] family for over 30 years” — after the Chevy, along with two electric guitars and an amplifier were stolen during a commercial burglary on the 1100 block of Victoria Street.

Costa Mesa police said the items belonged to the owner of the business, who’d been gifted the car by Armstrong. The singer explained on Instagram Live that he’d purchased the car from a friend in 1993, fixed it up and kept it among a circle of friends and family ever since.

Armstrong made a personal appeal to the alleged thieves, saying he would personally post bail upon anyone’s arrest, if he could only learn the vehicle’s location.

Police believe multiple individuals may have been responsible for the break-in, thought to have occurred sometime between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. The total estimated value of the car and stolen items was $48,000.

Anyone who may have information on the incident is asked to call Det. Joe Lopez at (714) 754-4873.

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