Har to believe it took five months for someone to steal it.
I had an '80 Audi I'd bought used, back around 1987. I went to New York City that same year, to visit a co-worker for the weekend. We went to an off-Broadway play for the evening, and when we got back, discovered that the front bumper of my car had been stolen. For this van to have sat there all that time without being approached by police, in light of the events of 9/11, is very troublesome.
Hard to believe it wasn’t towed. That neighborhood shouldn’t have too many driveways. IF that thing was parked on the street, it was illegally parked at least an hour and a half per week during Alternate Side parking (street sweeping).