String of vehicle thefts appear to be crimes of opportunity

A string of recent vehicle thefts in Dubois County may have been prevented if the vehicles’ keys hadn’t been left in the vehicles.

“These seem to be crimes of opportunity,” Sgt. Detective Rick Chambers said today.

Since September 22, three vehicles have been reported stolen in Jasper and on Tuesday, a vehicle was stolen from the Huntingburg Event Center. In each case, the vehicles’ keys were in the unlocked vehicle.

“I’ve been an officer for 28 years and I can count on my hand how many vehicles have been stolen without the keys in the vehicle,” Sgt. Detective Chambers said. “We don’t have a prevalence of seasoned car thieves in Dubois County who are proficient at popping the ignition and starting the vehicle without the keys.”

According to Detective Chambers, the last vehicle theft arrest he made involved a teen stealing items from open vehicles and “when he found the keys in the vehicle, he would steal the vehicle too.”

All three vehicles stolen in Jasper have been recovered, while the Huntingburg investigation is ongoing.

The first theft in Jasper occurred on September 22 when a black 2010 Chevy Cobalt was taken from the 400 block of Wagner Street in Jasper. It was subsequently found on East 8th Street on September 28.

A maroon 1988 Chevrolet truck stolen from Forest Products’ parking lot on September 26 between 7 a.m. and noon was recovered in Indianapolis on September 30.

A white 2006 Volvo was taken from the 3400 block of Leslie Driver on September 29. It was recovered on the 500 block of Truman Road on October 2.

According to Chambers, all three vehicles were unlocked and had the keys stored somewhere in the vehicle.

Police have enough evidence from the investigations for a successful prosecution but are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect or suspects in the cases. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jasper Police Department at 812-481-2677 (COPS).

The Community Strike Force Against Crime and the Jasper Police Department is offering a $1,500 award for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the auto thefts in Jasper.

The Huntingburg Police Department is still investigating the auto theft that occurred Tuesday. Anyone with information is asked to contact them at 812-683-3003. No reward has been offered in that case.

Two vehicles have been reported stolen in Ferdinand in the past year and according to Ferdinand Police Chief Ricky Patton, both were taken with the keys in the vehicle.