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Alert security officer leads to arrest of theft suspects www.privateofficer.com
Alert security officer leads to arrests of theft suspects http://www.privateofficer.com
Washington State Patrol troopers arrived soon after receiving a call from a security officer at the Park and Ride who told them that he’d seen a blue Dodge pickup truck driving back and forth down the rows of the parking lot then he saw the truck stop and a man get out with tools, police said.
When troopers arrived, they stopped a pickup that was trying to leave the area, police said.
Troopers took Scott W. Eslick, 38, and Joey L. Helsey, 35, both from Longview, into custody and the later investigation revealed that Eslick had been trying to remove the catalytic converter from a 2001 Kia Sportage that was parked in the lot when he became spooked by the security guard and tried to leave without the part, police said.
Detectives said they found four catalytic converters in the back of the pickup, which were from previous thefts, along with numerous tools.
Investigators said they are still trying to determine where the parts were stolen from.
In recent months, catalytic converters have become a wanted commodity with thieves due to the valuable metals they contain. Detectives said Eslick told them that he is able to sell converters for between $80 and $250.
The WSP encourages anyone who observes suspicious behavior in a Park and Ride to call 911 to report the suspicious behavior.
Troopers said they weren’t able to determine whether Helsey was involved in the thefts.
Eslick was booked into the Clark County Jail on charges of possession of burglary tools, attempted theft and malicious mischief.
Helsey was booked into the Clark County Jail on an out-of-county warrant for disorderly conduct.
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Police officer arrested for car theft www.privateofficer.com
Police officer arrested for car theft www.privateofficer.com
Carmel Ind. Dec. 4, 2007
A Carmel police officer whose job already was on the line was arrested Monday on four felony charges, including stealing a luxury vehicle from the Carmel dealership he worked part time.
During a news conference late Monday, Carmel Police Chief Michael Fogarty said that 8-year Carmel officer Michael B. Flynn, 33, was charged with forgery, a Class C felony, and auto theft, official misconduct and obstruction of justice, all Class D felonies.
The charges are the result of a two-month investigation conducted by the Carmel Police Department. The investigation began Sept. 18 with a report of a stolen white 1995 Lexus.The case originally was reported to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, but was forwarded to Carmel when investigators realized the theft occurred at the Penske Chevrolet dealership in Carmel, according to a news release by Lt. Jeff Horner.Detectives discovered the stolen vehicle was recently registered to Flynn. He has been employed as an off-duty security officer for the Penske dealership since mid-2006, and was employed there when the vehicle was stolen. Police have not determined if Flynn was working security on the date the Lexus disappeared, Fogarty said.Police first approached Flynn about the car Sept. 19, and Flynn gave them several versions of how he came to possess the vehicle, according to a police document. First, Flynn said he had been asked by someone at Penske to tag the vehicle as an abandoned car, the affidavit said. Then, he said he bought it for $1,200 cash from a man, who he knew only as James.Fogarty said Flynn was not “all that cooperative” with the investigation. To Fogarty’s knowledge, Flynn did not drive the stolen car to work. Detectives continued the investigation and found additional crimes related to the stolen vehicle.After the investigation was completed, the case was submitted to the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors formally charged Flynn with the four felony counts Monday.Flynn turned himself in to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department late Monday and was released on $10,000 bond, Fogarty said.Flynn has worked for the Carmel Police Department since September 1999. He was placed on administrative leave with pay Sept. 28, pending the criminal investigation. Monday, Flynn was placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the criminal case. Last month, Fogarty recommended to the merit board that Flynn be terminated because the department has had several non-criminal issues with him. An arraignment date had not been set by late Monday, Fogarty said.
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