The Eyewitness National Crime Alert for October 2, 2017
These incidents were reported across the country from 9.25.17 to 10.1.17
Columbus, NE — Reported 9.25.17
Diesel Truck Exhaust Missing After Labor Day Theft
Thieves stole the exhaust system from a 2012 Ford F-250 diesel pickup truck parked at ta dealership over the Labor Day weekend. While the system only works with a similar truck, authorities say that it’s possible the thief sold the exhaust to someone else. Anyone with information should call the Platte County Sheriff’s Office at 402–564–3229. (Original article)
Arnold, MO — Reported 9.25.17
Stolen Pickup Recovered Quickly, But No Leads or Arrests
Around 4 AM on 9.11.17, thieves stole a 2001 red Dodge Ram 1500 (worth $9,500) from an Arnold-area dealership’s car lot. Police recovered the truck in St. Louis four days later, but named no suspects or arrests in connection with the case. Those with information should call the Sheriff’s Office tip line at 636–797–5515. (Original article)
El Paso, TX — 9.25.17
Car Theft Gang Uses Wire Transfer Documents to “Buy” $207,000 Vehicles
Between June 2016 and July 2017, a gang of car thieves used “fraudulent wire transfer documents” to pretend to purchase cars from a local dealership. The stolen cars — valued between $28,000 to $207,000 each — include:
- 2012 Chevy Camaro
- 2014 Nissan Armada
- 2015 Ford F-150
- 2016 Acura MDX
- 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat
- 2017 Acura NSX
Authorities arrested four other suspects for “engaging in criminal activity” before the 9.22.17 arrest of a fifth suspect, booked into jail on a $300,000 bond. There is no word on whether police recovered the vehicles, nor what condition they might be in. (Original article)
Evesham Township, NJ — Reported 9.26.17
$45,000 Truck Damaged Less Than 48 Hours After Initial Tire Theft
On 9.21.17, a man stole a tire from a local dealership. He then returned two days later despite CCTV — this time with tools to take “parts from a brand new pickup” worth some $45,000 costing the dealership hundreds in repairs.
The thief has a distinctive tattoo on his right elbow. If you know the suspect, call the Evesham Township police. (Original article)
Brooklyn, NY — Reported 9.26.17
Charged Meth Dealer Adds Identity Theft to Rap Sheet for $240,000 Acura NSX
An alleged meth dealer named White — no, not that White — stands accused of a whopping 17 counts of grand larceny and identity theft. Detectives believe that White used a fake driver’s license, an identity victim’s Social Security number, and forged insurance documents coupled with the victim’s credit information to purchase a 2017 Acura NSX for almost a quarter of a million dollars. The victim had no idea his identity had been stolen until he received car paperwork in the mail “a few weeks” after White made his fraudulent purchase.
The dealership cooperated with the police to run the in-house surveillance system through the authorities’ facial recognition software to identify him as the same man charged with dealing methamphetamine in an April federal complaint. White pleaded not guilty to all charges, and is held on $300,00 bail or $150,000 bond until his next court date of 11.1.17. (Original article)
Franklin, WI — Reported 9.26.17
Dealership Missing $73,750 in Dodge Chargers
In the space of an hour, a local dealership lost two 2017 gray Dodge Chargers (worth $73,750). The cars were last seen going north down I-43 by a DoT traffic camera. The dealership estimates the thieves caused an additional $1,500 in damages to the business itself. (Original article)
Albuquerque, NM — Reported 9.26.17
Car Theft Takes 3+ Hours In “Staged” Scheme
A local dealership experienced more than just a “hit and run” theft on its car lot. Its sales manager detailed to reporters how a group of crooks extended their theft of a $15,000+ automobile across several hours:
“She gets down. They come back about 20 minutes later. They pop the trunk open. The guy goes through the trunk and says we’re seeing this all on video. They come out. They leave the car alone. Twenty minutes [to] 30 minutes later, they come back and take off in the car because they have it opened already.”
The thieves added insult to injury when they not only stole the car, but “a lot” of credit applications. The sales manager isn’t sure if any Social Security numbers or other personal information has been compromised. (Original article)
New Albany, IN — Reported 9.26.17
Thieves Drive Away with Trailer Full of HVAC Scrap
Police seek the public’s help as they track down two men believed to have stolen a trailer containing a HVAC business’s equipment. They drove a maroon pickup truck to steal the trailer, along with “some scrap materials” including sheet metal and casings from air conditioners worth several thousands of dollars.
Anyone with information should call the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department at 812–948–5400. (Original article)
Anchorage, AK — 9.26.17
Thieves Steal “Up to 20” Car Keys, Costing Dealership Thousands to Re-Key Inventory
At 3 AM last Tuesday, thieves used a car as a battering ram to break through a fence surrounding a used car dealership’s lot. Once on the grounds, they broke a window to steal “up to 20 sets of vehicle keys,” along with three cars on the lot.
The dealership relocated the remaining vehicles with stolen keys to various places throughout Anchorage, to prevent the thieves from returning to finish the job. With vehicle rekeying costing $300 to $800 per car, the dealership will drop anywhere from $6,000 to $16,000 just to secure their remaining cars from criminals with key fobs.
While the theft resembles other recent area burglaries, police aren’t sure if they’re connected. Anyone with information should contact the Anchorage Police Department to help with the ongoing investigations. (Original article)
Corpus Christi, TX — 9.26.17
Good Samaritan Owner Burned by Car Thief
On 9.21.17, a dealership moved an SUV to a side alley, waiting for it to be detailed before donating it to a family suffering from Hurricane Harvey. The surveillance cameras from the business next door show a man walking up to the SUV and “jumping into the vehicle” to drive it down the street.
The SUV has no plates or front hub cap, and has a dent on the passenger-side driver door. The dealership’s owner is currently increasing security at his dealership at the incident, and is already moving forward to donate another vehicle to the family. Those with information should contact Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS. (Original article)
Montgomery, AL — 9.26.17
Police Take Two Suspects in August Auto Theft Into Custody
In August 2017, authorities investigated a reported “theft of a motor vehicle” at a local auto dealership, with security footage catching the perpetrators’ faces. Police identified both suspects — a detention facility staff member and a car thief taken for another stolen vehicle charge — and reported that they currently reside in police custody. (Original article)
Greenwood, IN — Reported 9.27.17
Man Tries to Cash Fake Check in Stolen Truck with Fraudulent ID
When a bank called police on a man trying to cash a fake check, the responding officers discovered the man’s truck was listed as stolen — with its license plate stolen from an Indianapolis dealership. The driver also possessed a fake driver’s license.
The man insisted that “another man” had given him the stolen truck, the driver’s license, and the fake check to cash. Police arrested him into the Johnson County jail, where he remained on $4,300 bail. (Original article)
Monroe, MI — Reported 9.27.17
Homeless Man Arrested for Car, Electrical Theft
A stolen 2000 Ford Taurus in the parking lot of a local motel led police to arrest its driver, a homeless man. Inside the truck were three 8–10 foot metal pipes (valued at $200) and 2 unistrut pipes (valued at $80), which the man told police he’d “found” and planned to sell at a scrap yard. A commercial electric breaker box (valued at $400) was also in the truck at the time of the arrest.
The business from which the box had been taken told police that the buildings had experienced theft of “several items of value” over the years. (Original article)
Nashville, TN — 9.27.17
Break-In at Harley Davidson for Leather Jackets
Police seek a black male — possibly driving a Chevy Blazer-model vehicle — in connection with a midnight burglary at a local Harley Davidson store. The burglar broke into the main showroom using bricks to break through the front door’s glass, and stole leather motorcycle jackets before escaping. (Original article)
Russellville, AR — Reported 9.28.17
Scrap Metal Dealer Faces Capital Murder Charges
The attorneys defending a scrap metal recycling owner recently argued in court that the tattoos of two shot car part thieves be admitted as evidence to the jury, which will decide whether the owner is guilty of capital murder for killing the two men while defending his property.
The shooting took place in September 2016, when the owner shot and killed the two thieves on business property during an attempted robbery. The thieves’ bodies were covered in white-supremacist tattoos, which the defense attorneys say indicates their reputation “as convicted felons who were members of violent white supremacy groups” in the area.
As evidence, the defense attorneys believe that the tattoos will help demonstrate that several police witnesses and family members lied in their reports to police about the thieves’ personalities and potential use of deadly force.
The owner will report to court on 10.16.17 for a pretrial hearing. He is currently free on $850,000 bond. (Original article)
Clarksville, IN — Reported 9.28.17
Clarksville Auto Auction Loses 150+ Key Fobs
The Clarksville auto auction hit a snag in July 2017 when three thieves stole more than 150 key fobs, despite security precautions including CCTV systems. Police have identified two of the three thieves caught on tape, linking them to similar burglaries across six states: Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
Police believe that the suspects stole the key fobs to sell to a third party, not to steal the cars from the auto auction later. However, neither the keys nor the suspects have yet been brought to justice. If you have any information, please contact the Clarksville police at 812–288–7151. (Original article)
Jackson, GA — Reported 9.29.17
A Hunt for a Burglar’s Mask Turns Up $500,000 of Stolen Vehicles, Generators
Police officers received an anonymous tip that connected a man recently arrested for driving on the wrong side of the road to three trucks stolen from a local dealership on 9.17.17. In an effort to connect the masked thief on dealership surveillance footage to the suspect in custody, police drove to the suspect’s residence.
Officers hoped they might find the burglar’s mask, but discovered much more than just a disguise. Before they even set foot on the property, they spotted one of the three stolen trucks from the road. In all, investigators found more than $500,000 in stolen property, including but not limited to:
- 8 trucks
- 2 generators
- 5 trailers
- 4 ATVs
- Multiple firearms
The recovered property had been stolen from a wide swath across the state, coming from Taylor, Bartow, Paulding, Walton, Butts, Cherokee, and Polk counties.
While the current suspect remains in custody, the investigation continues — and the other two trucks from the Jackson dealership remain missing. (Original article)
Missoula, MT — 9.29.17
Repeat Car Thief Allowed to Post Bail Multiple Times — Only to Steal Again
One Montana man’s run-ins with the law follow a distinct pattern, starting with an audacious theft at the beginning of the year. In January 2017, a Montana man stole several cars and the complete surveillance system for a local car dealership.
After posting bail following his arrest, police then re-arrested him barely a month later for traffic violations and suspicion of involvement in area thefts. He was released again, only to be arrested in North Dakota driving a stolen car away from pursuing authorities… after which he was released to attend a substance abuse treatment program. Eight days later, authorities took him back into custody when he left the program — without completing it — and after a civilian caught the repeat thief breaking into his truck parked at a hotel.
The man now remains in jail with his bail at a combined total of $225,000. (Original article)
Montclair, CA — Reported 9.30.17
Thief Steals Car Left “With the Keys In It” and Causes $10K in Damages
An opportunistic car thief stole a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu left “with the keys in it” from a local dealership. Using GPS, the dealership managed to locate the missing vehicle and guide a sheriff’s office helicopter to its position on the 60 Freeway headed east. Officers pursued, lights blaring, as the driver refused to pull over. He hit a bystander’s vehicle after running a red light — whose driver was mercifully unhurt — then crashed a center divider, which finally disabled the stolen car.
After treatment for “pain” at a local hospital, police booked the driver into a detention center for suspicion of vehicle theft and evading police. The dealership says the thief caused $10,000 in damages. (Original article)
Originally published at Eyewitness Surveillance.
