A crime has allegedly been committed in Los Angeles County and the victim is an iconic American meat snack.

Slim Jim, the long thin tube of meat that comes wrapped in plastic and is sold in convenience stores across the country, says someone has stolen its custom sports car known as “Fast Meat.”

The custom Nissan Z is wrapped with Slim Jim branding and was made as part of a partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment. In recent weeks, it’s been traveling across the country for WWE events, including making a recent stop in Chicago for the company’s “Survivor Series” event.

The vehicle has been appearing in commercials with WWE Superstar L.A. Knight, who tells viewers to “Snap into a Slim Jim,” taking over the mantle for pro wrestling icon “Macho Man” Randy Savage, who starred in similar commercials in the 1990s.

Recently, Fast Meat was routed to Los Angeles for a custom video shoot, according to Conagra Brands, Slim Jim’s parent company. While en route, it was apparently stolen — at least, that’s what the company says.

It was supposedly last seen in Los Angeles County, although a more specific location was not given. A redacted police report lists the date the crime occurred as Dec. 13. The company did ask anyone who may have spotted the vehicle to contact the authorities via Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers.

“We knew we had something special with our custom car, but had no idea it would be in such demand that someone would steal it,” said Ashley Spade, an executive with Conagra Brands. “We continue to work closely with the authorities and we ask anyone if they spot it to report it to the LAPD.” 

The sports car was designed by an unnamed “iconic custom auto shop” in Hollywood and features a Slim Jim-branded wrap, custom yellow leather interior, LED lighting underneath the car and both a Slim Jim dispenser and Slim Jim holder. There are also some hidden “Easter eggs” in the interior, which we won’t go into.

The company is known for having a chaotic sense of humor that’s consistent with its branding, often going viral for ridiculous stunts or tongue-in-cheek promotions.

But was the car really stolen?

It wouldn’t be the first time a brand used viral marketing to try and trick local news agencies. Just last month, rapper Snoop Dogg pulled a fast one on America following a cryptic social media post in which he announced he was giving up “smoke” after conversations with his loved ones. The Long Beach native, who is synonymous with smoking marijuana, was later announced as the new brand “smokesman” for a smokeless fire pit company.

But the company insists this isn’t a PR stunt and a spokesperson for Conagra told KTLA that the car was truly stolen and an active investigation is underway.

Slim Jim is currently on an active social media campaign, asking for leads and encouraging its fans to use the hashtag #FINDFASTMEAT to report any sightings. Search for that hashtag at your own discretion.

Without more specific details about when and where the vehicle was reported stolen, it’s difficult to say for sure if there really is an ongoing investigation or if we’ve all been hoodwinked by another Slim Jim marketing ploy.

Only time will tell.