PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Philadelphia police say a missing pair of Michael Jackson's shoes didn't just moonwalk away, but were stolen only to be recovered and returned to their owner.
The owner, Martino Cartier, 37, told police the autographed shoes, worth an estimated $50,000, were to be auctioned off for charity at a gala Saturday night. WPVI-TV, Philadelphia, said Cartier believed a drunken party-goer took the late King of Pop's kicks, then got in a limousine with a group of friends.
The shoes' certificate of authenticity also disappeared, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.
A limo company employee saw the television report about the theft and when he found the shoes in the limo at the end of the night he contacted WPVI-TV to arrange to return them to Cartier the next day. No charges had been filed.
About 2,000 people attended the 19th annual Hair O' the Dog gala, the Daily News said.
