Police officers spotted the safe protruding from the rear of the car Tuesday in South Boston.

James Cotter Jr., who has been charged with receiving stolen property, gave at least two different stories about where the safe came from, the Boston Globes reported. He allegedly told one friend that it had belonged to an uncle.

Investigators say that Cotter, 24, told police he found the safe in a garage, took it home, tried and failed to open it and then decided to return it.

Since the safe has no serial number, police have no way to trace it from the outside. They were trying to get a warrant to allow them to open it.