One of the sleekest cars in the recent Bubba Cruz 4 parade in honor of “Bubba” Ardis was stolen, apparently during today’s predawn hours (Thursday, August 5), from a Lottie field, then burned and abandoned beside a rural Escambia County road.
Sheriff’s reports on the incident were not immediately available, but Thomas Ardis (brother to Bubba Ardis) said the stolen vehicle – a powder blue 1964 SS Chevrolet Impala — belonged to their mother, Jean Ardis, who got it as a birthday present five years ago,
Thomas Ardis said the classic was parked in a field used by Lottie Road Kustoms, the auto rehab and repair shop he owns just off Lottie Road. The family learned of the theft around 10:45 a.m.
The thief or thieves also pried open the door of a truck that was stored near the Impala, but apparently couldn’t get it started. They took the Chevrolet instead and drove it to a location off Ewing Farm Road, where it was apparently doused with gas, then set ablaze.
No arrest had been reported by 4:45 p.m. today, and Thomas Ardis said his family would pay for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the classic car thieves and arsonists.
“We are offering a large cash reward for information on who did this,” he said.
Note: For more on the story, see next week’s edition of Atmore News.