Buying New Car Insurance

Whoa, wait a minute! Didn't the owner report the car as stolen?

The bill for the retrieval had to be paid. They didn’t stop being the owner when the vehicle was stolen.

They were still the owner, so they were still responsible for retrieval of the vehicle. If they had comprehensive insurance that included theft insurance, the insurance would have paid the bill.

This is news to me. My understanding is the thief becomes responsible for damages caused by the vehicle once the car is stolen.

Google search for "if your car is stolen, are you liable for any damages caused by the thief?"