Faith (and Facebook) bring Trinity’s stolen solar car home – fast

Trinity Lutheran School students and staff were crestfallen Tuesday morning to arrive at school and learn their beloved solar-powered race car had been stolen, along with the bright red trailer it’s kept in.

But in less time than it takes for a Sunday morning sermon, their frowns turned upside down, thanks to a blessed combination of social media and what some might call divine providence, if not an outright miraculous bit of good fortune.

It wasn’t such a happy ending for a Bend couple accused of stealing the 30-foot trailer, who were stopped on their way out of town – to Sacramento, police said – and landed behind bars at the Deschutes County Jail.

Not only was the school’s taste of the solar future still inside the trailer, but with the lock still in place, Principal Hanne Krause said, “We don’t think they even knew what they had” inside.

Police responded to the school on Northeast Butler Market Road just after 8 a.m. to take a report on the theft, which apparently happened overnight, said Sgt. Mike Landolt. It had been seen still on campus around 10 p.m.

The value of the trailer was pegged at almost $7,000 but the carbon fiber solar car is worth more than the $30,000 value, as students and staff have labored over the unique vehicle, working in partnerships with places like Stanford, hauling it to the annual Solar Challenge races in San Antonio, Texas.

While police got to work, staff posted an alert about the theft on the school’s Facebook page, Krause said. The high schoolers were informed about what happened at their daily 8:30 a.m. meeting, and the principal said “they were just devastated” by the news.

When the responding officer went to the classroom of science teacher and solar car “coach” Tom Stueve to get more information about the missing car, they found he was busy on the phone, talking to his wife, Heather.

And that’s when the tide turned.

Heather Stueve had been driving home from work, not feeling well. She had seen the Facebook posts about the missing trailer – and there it was, heading south on 27 th Street near Bear Creek Road, being towed at the back of a Penske moving truck.

“I’m looking right at the trailer!” she told her husband – and soon, police as well, as they moved into action.

With the help of Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, officers were able to stop the truck and trailer in the area of Knott and China Hat roads, Landolt said. A blue Ford Escape SUV traveling behind the truck also was stopped as part of the investigation.

The truck driver, Hishkama Bencini, 42, and the SUV driver, her spouse, Christina Bencini, 38, both of Bend, were taken into custody and lodged at the Deschutes County Jail on charges of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and first-degree aggravated theft. Each was held on $35,000 bail.

The trailer and solar car were returned to the school, apparently none the worse for wear.

And it could have ended much worse. The hitch and trailer didn’t match up, Krause said — in fact, when it was pulled over, “the trailer popped off the hitch” of the moving truck.

If something like that had happened at freeway speeds, “it would have been terrible,” she said.

“We’re just thankful for God’s timing and how it all worked out,” Krause said Tuesday night.

So where will the car and trailer be kept overnight now — hopefully in a safer spot? “Not on our campus, that’s for sure,” the principal assured.

If you’d like to learn more about, or even help the Oregon High School Solar Car Team in its future endeavors — including a new car in the works with Stanford University — visit their Website.