Man gets 6 months in jail for stealing part of Paul Walker's Porsche

Man gets 6 months in jail for stealing part of Paul Walker’s Porsche

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Firefighters and sheriff’s deputies work near the crash scene in the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop on Nov. 30. (Dan Watson / Associated Press)

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Rafael Lopez of Santa Clarita places a sign at a memorial at the site where actor Paul Walker and his friend Roger Rodas were killed in a car crash Nov. 30, 2013.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Fans including Ivon Barron of South Gate, left, visit the memorial to Paul Walker, whose early death in a car crash is similar to that of James Dean more than 50 years ago. (Christina House / For The Times)

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The smell of the burned Porsche still lingered in the air Sunday morning as fans set up a makeshift memorial at the crash site on Hercules Street, near Kelly Johnson Parkway, in Santa Clarita. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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“Fast and Furious” memorabilia was placed alongside candles and flowers. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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The fiery crash left charred trees in the secluded area near a business park. (Ryan Fonseca / Associated Press)

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The four-lane road up the hilly street has signs warning drivers to slow down as they approach an uphill curve near the site of the accident. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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At the time of his death, Walker, who also starred in “Pleasantville” and “Varsity Blues,” was working on the seventh film of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. (David Buchan / Getty Images)

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Joel Perez, 23, another fan who gathered at the site Sunday, said Walker’s “gone but he’ll never be forgotten because there are so many people that look up to him.” (David Buchan / Getty Images)

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Speed may have been a factor in the crash, which occurred about 3:30 p.m. Saturday on a normally quiet road with a 45-mph speed limit, authorities said. (Dan Watson / Associated Press)

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Officials say it could take some time before investigators know how fast a Porsche was traveling when it crashed in Santa Clarita on Saturday, killing “Fast & Furious” actor Paul Walker and another man. (Dan Watson / Associated Press)

By Richard WintonStaff Writer

Dec. 9, 2014 8:54 PM PT

A 26-year-old man was sentenced to six months in jail Tuesday for stealing part of a Porsche Carrera GT that actor Paul Walker was riding in when he died in a fiery crash last year in Santa Clarita.

Anthony Edward Janow was also sentenced to three years of formal probation for taking a roof panel from the Porsche while sheriff’s officials were investigating the crash that killed Walker and a friend.

Janow pleaded guilty in August to felony grand theft of personal property and one misdemeanor count each of destroying evidence and resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer.

Another man, Jameson Brooks Witty, 19, pleaded no contest this year to misdemeanor charges that included grand theft, destroying evidence and resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer. He was sentenced to 6 months in jail and three years of probation.

Janow and Witty stole the roof panel from a tow truck that was carrying the destroyed Porsche away from the crash site on the night of Nov. 30, 2013. The tow truck was stopped at a red light in Valencia, authorities said. The men took the item even though a deputy told them they couldn’t take any vehicle parts, according to investigators.

A photograph of the roof was posted on an Instagram account, @jamesonwitty, which claimed the item was a piece of the Porsche from the crash. The Instagram user later posted an apology, saying he took the roof to create a memorial out of it.

“Paul was a childhood idol to me and many. At the time I was not thinking about the consequences it could have. I never wanted it to be like this. I wasn’t going to sell the piece to make a profit,” the message read. “Nobody in this world is perfect, we all make mistakes. Some bigger than others.”

Walker, 40, died from traumatic injuries and burns after the Porsche crashed into a light pole and burst into flames. Roger Rodas, 38, Walker’s financial advisor and friend, was behind the wheel of the car when it crashed and was also killed.

The sports car was traveling at more than 90 mph, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department report.

Follow Southern California crime @lacrimes