The Lincoln Police Department says a string of vehicle thefts from local businesses since February 1st may be connected.
Authorities say just before 5:30 PM on February 1st, the sales manager at Duteau Chevrolet reported two vehicles had been stolen from their lot. The manager reported to police that someone broke the key lock box attached to the vehicle window and got access the key. Pieces of the lock box were found nearby. The stolen vehicles were a 2014 white Jeep Wrangler valued at $21,000 and a 2018 Honda Ridgeline valued at $30,000.
Just after 10:00 AM on February 20th, thieves again hit the Duteau dealership. In this case, the general manager reported a 2016 Chevrolet pickup had been stolen from their lot. The key lock box was again attached to the window and someone broke it off to access the key. The pickup, valued at $55,000, was later located in a driveway in Denton, Nebraska with heavy damage to the dash board. The Lancaster Sheriff's Office processed the stolen vehicle, since it was located in the county.
The third possibly linked theft occurred on the morning of February 13th. Shortly after 5:30 a 45 year old man reported to police that he dropped his vehicle off for repairs at the TO Haas located near 27th and Folkways Boulevard shortly before 8:00 PM and had left his key in the key drop box on the garage door of the business. Shortly before 2:00 AM, the man received an alert from his Progressive Insurance app that his vehicle was in motion. Employees at TO Haas located a stick the thief used to fish the keys out of the drop box. The vehicle was located two days later abandoned near 33rd and Mohawk.
Anyone with information on these thefts is asked to contact Lincoln Police.