American Lamborghini Huracan EVO owner recovers his car missing for two years through ChatGPT

[PCauto] Recently, Andrew Garcia from Orange County, California successfully recovered his stolen Lamborghini Huracan EVO by combining ChatGPT with social media clues.

The Huracan EVO was Stolen in a Rental Scam

The incident dates back to 2023, when Garcia's Lamborghini Huracan EVO, along with several other high-end sports cars, were stolen in a series of rental scam cases.

The criminal gang falsified vehicle ownership documents to illegally transfer ownership and resell the vehicles on the black market for profit, involving a total amount of millions of dollars.

Due to the case involving an interstate crime network and professional methods, the investigation was once at a standstill.

Garcia Identified the Vehicle Location Using ChatGPT and Landscape Features

The breakthrough came in August 2025, when Garcia received a direct message on Instagram from an unknown user. The sender provided an interior photo of the car, showing a business card left by Garcia in the seat gap, and inquired if he was interested in selling the vehicle.

This photo, which included part of the car window's view and street features, became a crucial clue in solving the case.

Garcia then tried using AI tools to assist in locating the vehicle. He input the received photo into ChatGPT for image analysis and cross-referenced the background's building characteristics, road signage, and vegetation patterns using Google’s geographic locating tools.

By comparing the image metadata with geographic databases using AI, the vehicle's location was finally pinpointed to a specific area in Denver, Colorado.

After obtaining the location information, Garcia immediately reported the incident to the Colorado police.

The local Auto Theft Prevention Bureau quickly took action and successfully recovered the Lamborghini Huracan EVO in the designated area.

Verification of the vehicle identification code confirmed that this was the car reported stolen in California two years ago.

Police stated that such technology-assisted clues voluntarily provided by citizens greatly enhance the efficiency of recovering stolen assets.

There Are Still Unresolved Aspects of the Case

Investigations revealed that the car's current holder in Colorado purchased it through a third-party channel; whether they are involved in the case remains under further investigation.

What is even more concerning is how the vehicle was transferred 1,600 kilometers from California to Denver, potentially involving a professional interstate fencing network.

In California, one member of the theft ring has been convicted, and another suspect's trial is scheduled for October 2025.

ChatGPT Can Save a Significant Amount of Manual Image Comparison Work

From a technical perspective, traditional investigation methods require a manual review of massive street images and data records, while AI tools can quickly narrow down search areas through environmental feature extraction and spatial data analysis.

An official from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Bureau stated that such technical assistance is particularly suitable for tracing items with distinct visual features, such as limited-edition supercars or customized modified vehicles.

This Case Provides New Insights for Security Measures in the Automotive Industry

Some high-end car manufacturers have begun exploring anti-theft systems integrated with AI recognition technology, constructing monitoring and early warning mechanisms for abnormal vehicle movements through onboard cameras and real-time cloud database connections.

At the same time, insurance companies are also evaluating the impact of AI-assisted vehicle search technology on the claims process and premium pricing system.

The experience of Andrew Garcia shows that artificial intelligence technology is transforming the traditional methods of asset recovery. However, the healthy development of technology must be built on a legal framework and industry standards. Only through the organic combination of technological tools and judicial procedures can truly efficient and compliant crime prevention and rights protection be achieved.

With the continuous evolution of AI technology, more cross-field innovative applications may emerge in the future, but balancing technological innovation and ethical norms will remain a long-term challenge.