In a world full of superheroes and super villains, dealing with a stolen car would be the least of one’s worries. But in this day and age when superheroes and their evil counterparts merely grace the big screens rather than walk among us, auto theft is a real problem, as the cast and crew of the next Captain America movie recently found out. That’s because, on May 23rd, a black Chevy Malibu was stolen from the filming set of the Captain America movie and taken for a joyride by a 25-year-old man, according to Fox 8 Cleveland.  You just can’t make up stories this crazy!

Middleburg Heights police identified this man, Norman Wood Polk, as the alleged car thief in the case of the Captain America Malibu. Images: Middleburg Heights Police Department via Complex Rides

The Chevy Malibu was being used as a prop for the filming of the next movie in the Captain America series, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Filming of the movie has been taking place over the last couple weeks in Cleveland, Ohio with little issue, but on Thursday May 23rd, a man allegedly walked onto the movie set and took one of the many prop cars, which was parked near the Cleveland Public Library at the time.

Middleburg Heights police officers tracked the man down when they tried to stop the vehicle for a license plate violation that evening, after seeing the man weaving in and out of traffic on Interstate 71.

After a slow pursuit, the driver finally pulled over and handed the officers a Washington license plate and a card with his name on it. Apparently, the drivers’ license had been suspended.

The plate, which turned out to be a prop plate for the movie, led police back to Captain America officials, who told them the driver, identified as Norman Wood Polk according to Complex Rides, did not have permission to take the vehicle although he had claimed to. Polk was arrested at the scene and the vehicle was returned to the set with its prop plates intact. Charges are still pending on the suspect.

After a slow chase and a bit of investigation, this Chevy Malibu was returned to the Captain America set, where it had been stolen from on May 23rd.