A missing 30-foot-tall inflatable gorilla stolen from a Simi Valley car dealership has been found on top of a high school.
Police are still handling the case as theft, but it appears the great ape caper is the work of pranksters. This comes as no surprise to the owner of First Kia, who on Thursday told NBCLA he suspected high schoolers were responsible for the crime.
Police called Johnny Kia, who went bananas when he heard the news.
"He said, 'We found your gorilla,'" Kia said. "I said, 'That's great. Where did you find him?' It was on the roof of Royal High School in Simi Valley.
"He's back home where he belongs. Thank you for finding our gorilla."
The 350-pound ape, unofficially known as "Thrilla," was discovered Friday morning on the roof of Royal High School, located at 1402 Royal Ave. Kia said it does not appear to be damaged.
Kia was asked whether he plans to pursue criminal charges.
"We just wanted our gorilla back," said Kia. "I think we're just going to leave it at that."
On Friday morning, the blue ape was returned to its home atop the dealership and inflated as the sales team watched and applauded.
