‘Never been reported stolen’: Man says he found an unlocked Mazda parked outside his house for a month, so he decides to investigate

A man who posts on TikTok as Ryan Stokes (@ryanstokes.mp4) said in a video that an abandoned silver Mazda had sat outside his house for a month without moving. He claimed the situation changed three days earlier when the car’s lights came on even though no one was inside.

Stokes said he wanted the vehicle gone and decided to look inside for anything that might identify the owner. He stated that he discovered the car was unlocked, which made the search straightforward.

In the same video, Stokes said viewer suggestions had led him in unexpected directions. He described checking the license plate on a vehicle history website and finding that the record only listed a manufacture date with nothing afterward. Stokes said the car had never been reported stolen.

Stokes says the car vanished after he took an envelope from the back seat

Stokes said in his TikTok video that he called the police about the Mazda. He claimed officers told him someone had already contacted them and said to expect his call. A voice on the call reportedly responded, “I didn’t say you would do this. Is this like a prank or something?” 

Stokes stated that eagle-eyed viewers had noticed a yellow envelope on the back seat in earlier footage he posted. He said he initially hesitated because his prints were already on the car, but he opened the envelope anyway. Inside, he found a CD and invoices that all listed the same address.

In a follow-up TikTok video, Stokes said he planned to visit the address the next morning. He claimed that about half an hour after he took the envelope, he looked outside and the Mazda was gone. Stokes noted that he had wanted the car moved but that his usual content involves these kinds of situations.

Stokes said he drove to the address from the invoices and knocked on the door of the house. He stated that no one answered, which did not surprise him because the letterbox, marked with the number 26, was overflowing with mail and newspapers.

He said it looked like no one had been there in a while. Belongings that appear left behind can hide surprises, as one buyer found at a neglected house bought at a foreclosure auction. 

Stokes claimed he considered taking some of the mail to look for clues but decided against it because that would be illegal. He said the car was not at the address either, so he headed home. Back at his place, Stokes said he examined dates on some of the mail and noticed one that appeared to read 1929.

He stated that things were not adding up, pointing to mail from nearly 100 years ago, the police tip that arrived hours before his call, and the vehicle history that showed nothing beyond the car’s 2011 manufacture date. Stokes said he still had the CD to check and held it up at the end of the video, adding that he needed to see what was on it.

In the comments, viewers discussed what Stokes should do next. One wrote, “Get it towed and scrapped for $300.” Another said they had already reached out to authorities, writing, “I just called the cops about it… this is concerning but not too unusual. They say just send further details thru to them. I’ve sent them ur email so hopefully they’ll be reaching out soon!”

A third cautioned, “Don’t put random cd’s or usb’s in your computer.” One commenter floated a different theory: “Plot twist – it’s his car and this is all for views.” Another suggested a practical fix, writing, “It’s all looking a bit suss to me mate, I’d just call a towie to get rid of it.”