Oregon Metal Dude's Stolen Vest Ends Up in New York Macy's Display Three Years Later

It's like a metal version of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, except instead of a bike, the stolen object is an unwashed vest covered in patches.

As reported by WW news partner KATU, Meshach Babcock, bassist for Oregon City "sexy heavy metal barbarians" Maniak, had his beloved denim vest disappear from a high school battle of the bands three years ago.

Now, it's somehow turned up in a Ralph Lauren Polo display at Macy's in New York.

"I got a message from my friend Sergio, 'Meshach, I think I've found your vest!'" Babcock told KATU. "I looked at the picture and there's no question, it's my vest, all the patches are completely the same."

How it wound up there is still a mystery. But according to Babcock, the global metal community (and a The New Yorker reporter, apparently) has leapt into action, demanding Macy's return the vest—which was given to Babcock long ago by a childhood friend—to its rightful owner. There's a Facebook community and a Twitter page dedicated to getting the vest back.

If he gets it back, Babcock has promised to go skydiving wearing the vest—and nothing else. That is, if it hasn't been ruined.

"The other thing about that vest is it had never been washed," he said. "When I saw the picture of it, I was like, 'I hope they didn't wash it.' Because that's the whole thing about it—the whole mojo factor."

UPDATE, 1:18 pm: Rolling Stone has now jumped on this story, and spoke to representatives for both Macy's and Ralph Lauren. "It was for display, and if he can authenticate ownership, we'll bring this guy his jacket back," says Ryan Lally, a spokesman for Ralph Lauren. "It's a fashion hero story."

Watch the full piece from KATU—featuring some sweet bass-slaying from Babcock—below:

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