The Eyewitness National Crime Alert for September 25, 2017
These incidents were reported across the country from 9.18.17 to 9.24.17
Vacaville, CA — Reported 9.18.17
Burglar Steals Keys from Dealership Office, Takes Pickup
At 5 AM on 9.16.17, a burglar shattered a dealership office window to steal keys from their office. He then used the keys to steal a black pickup truck, simply driving it off the lot.
Luckily, police spotted the vehicle in Sacramento. They identified the driver as the burglar from the dealership’s surveillance footage. He is currently charged with burglary and vehicle theft. (Original article)
Mobile, AL — Reported 9.18.17
Three Burglars Steal 80 Car Titles in Briefcase
On 9.15.17, three men pull up to a local auto dealership in a 1998 white Buick Lesabre. One asks the owner about a car on the opposite end of the lot, and they go to look at the vehicle in question. The other two enter the dealership offices and emerge with a briefcase containing the titles for 80 cars on the car lot — despite the visible security cameras recording their every move.
Without the titles, the dealership cannot sell any of its vehicles to potential customers. It’s currently offering a $500 reward for the briefcase (and its titles). (Original article)
Henderson, KY — Reported 9.18.17
Two Cars Stolen from Dealership Lot “Sometime Over the Weekend”
A local dealership called the Henderson Police Department at 5:45 AM on 9.17.17, when it discovered two cars missing from the lot. Thieves took a 2017 maroon Dodge Ram and a Durango “sometime over the weekend,” while damaging five other cars.
Anyone with information should call the police department at 270–831–1295. (Original article)
Louisville, KY — Reported 9.18.17
Dealership Employee Forced to Shoot Robber
Early in the morning on 9.16.17, a dealership employee found himself standing at gunpoint when a burglar tried to rob the company of tools and a pickup truck. Telling the thief he needed to get the keys for the would-be stolen truck from the front office, the employee grabbed a loaded .380 from beneath the showroom counter. The dealership employee then shot the thief after the other man raised his gun and pointed it at him. Once the thief fell to the ground and dropped his gun, the employee called 911.
Authorities expect the thief to recover from his injuries. Charges are pending. (Original article)
Plymouth, MI — Reported 9.19.17
$23,867 in Tires Missing from Car Lot
Sometime between 6 PM on 8.30.17 and 7:30 AM the next morning, thieves stole the tires and rims from Cadillac XT5 and Cadillac CTS cars, leaving the vehicles suspended on landscaping blocks. The dealership now must replace $23,867 worth of tires before putting them back on the lot for sale. (Original article)
Greendale, IN — Reported 9.19.17
Van Stolen from One Dealership to Steal Tires from Another
According to Sergeant Kendle Davis, “At about 1:10 AM, a white Ford van was stolen from [a local dealership’s] lot. Then somewhere around 3:00 AM, thieves used the same van to steal tires off of two Dodge Challengers” at a neighboring dealership.
The dual thefts demonstrated a well-oiled operation in other ways. Two men arrived on the second dealership’s lot earlier in the evening to loosen tire lugnuts. The earlier preparation enabled the driver of the (stolen) white van to take the rims and tires quickly.
Anyone with information — or who recognizes the individual pictured from security footage — is encouraged to call the Greendale Police Department at 812–537–1321. (Original article)
Winston-Salem, NC — Reported 9.19.17
Burglar Gets 6–9 Years as “Habitual Felon” in Tire, Auto Theft Case
A car and tire thief the judge called a “habitual felon” was sentenced to six-to-nine years last Monday for a January 2015 theft of $6,400 in tires and a 2015-model car. The incident followed the same pattern of previous break-ins at neighboring dealerships in late 2014. (Original article)
Franklin, WI — 9.19.17
Midnight Call Summons Police to Dealership Break-In
At 1:30 AM, a dealership called for police to investigate a break-in and two missing cars. Department of Transportation traffic cameras caught the two stolen vehicles traveling out of the area. Authorities released no other details, and the investigation is still ongoing. (Original article)
Greenwood, IN — 9.19.17
Parents Force Child Vandals to Confess to “Thousands of Dollars” in Damages
The parents of two 11-year-old boys marched their sons to the Greenwood police station last week, where they confessed to vandalism at a local dealership. The smashed windshields and damaged vehicle bodies will take the dealership “several weeks” to repair.
We’re currently unsure if the vandals apologized directly to the dealership they destroyed. (Original article)
Ellensburg, WA — Reported 9.20.17
Couple Accused of Identity Theft to “Buy” $70,000+ Vehicles
One resident’s report of credit card fraud led local police down a rabbit hole of fraudulent purchases across the Tri Cities area, including several dealerships.
Authorities tracked the couple to a Pasco hotel. There, they found “a large amount of sophisticated printing equipment, stolen personal information, and counterfeit driver’s licenses,” according to the police report.
Ultimately, the police recovered three stolen vehicles “bought” with fake identities, including a 2017 Dodge Challenger Hellcat (worth $70,000) and a 2017 Toyota Highlander. (Original article)
Oxnard, CA — 9.20.17
Dealership Leaves Keys in Car, Repeat Felon Steals Car
When a dealership left keys inside a vehicle, an opportunistic thief took it upon himself to relieve the company of its car. Police recovered the car and its habitual-felon driver, arresting him on an outstanding felony warrant for possession of a stolen vehicle. His bail is set at $30,000. (Original article)
Jasper, IN — Reported 9.21.17
Scrap Yard Buys Stolen Iron Scraps for $122.50
Observant employees at a local business caught a scrap metal thief red-handed, taking scrap iron from the property in the middle of the day. When confronted, he admitted to stealing from the business on two other occasions and selling the stolen scrap to a local yard for $122.50.
While police booked the thief, he left after posting bond on a preliminary misdemeanor count of theft — though he had to retrieve his truck from the tow yard. (Original article)
Rochester, NH — Reported 9.21.17
Catalytic Converters Taken “Between September 13 and 18” from Dealership Lot
Employees of a local dealership immediately called the police on 9.18.17, when they realized a 1998 Toyota 4Runner and a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado were missing their catalytic converters. However, the theft had occurred days before, sometime “between September 13 and September 18,” and the dealership had no evidence to offer investigators.
The thieves have not tried to sell the stolen converters to local scrap yards, though they may be waiting for the hullaballoo to die down. Anyone with any information on the crime is encouraged to call the Rochester Police Department at 603–330–7127. (Original article)
Mason City, WI — Reported 9.21.17
Fraudster Hits Three Dealerships for Three Cars with “Bogus Credit Card”
A Milwaukee man used a “bogus credit card” to obtain three cars from three independent car dealerships.
Over a week-long period in early July 2017, the thief used the same “Mexican credit card” to buy three separate vehicles, ranging from $6,000 to nearly $12,000 for each transaction. In each case, the dealership only discovered the card was fraudulent after the fraudster had left with the illegally obtained car.
Police eventually arrested the credit card thief after he “got into a physical altercation” with another car theft victim he tried to scam. (Original article)
Newburyport, MA — 9.22.17
595 Pounds of Scrap Metal Stolen from School, Sold to Salvage Yard
Back in 2013, police suspected foul play when they came across a car loaded with scrap metal in a random parking lot at two in the morning, but couldn’t arrest the driver for scrap metal theft without cause.
That came four days later, when a local school reported $7,000 of steel flanges and plug valves missing from its construction site. Investigators suspected the late-night driver’s haul as coming from the school.
They began to canvas local scrap metal dealers with the man’s name. All local dealers told investigators they barred that man and his partner due to previous metal thefts. However, a Haverhill-based salvage yard told detectives that the man fitting the suspect’s description had sold him “595 pounds of unprepared metal” the day after the theft occurred.
The suspect pleaded guilty on 9.20.17 for larceny over $250, and will spend the next year in jail. (Original article)
Greenfield, IN — Reported 9.23.17
Cemetery Urn Thief on the Loose
Police ask for your help catching a serial urn thief in the area.
The individual took 5 metal urns from a Greenfield cemetery last week, which police believe is just the latest stop for the urn thief driving on U.S. Route 40. The urn thefts from nearby cemeteries follow the same pattern, with a Dodge Caravan (2001 to 2007 model year) driving to the cemetery before urns are stolen from the cemetery’s older sections.
Police suspect the urns will be sold to scrap metal yards or antique shops. Refurbished urns sell for $400–500 online. Anyone with information should call the Greenfield Police Department at 317–477–4410. (Original article)
Originally published at Eyewitness Surveillance.
