Eureka Police are trying to identify a man who allegedly stole numerous car parts and a pickup from Gateway Car Connection, 1721 W. Fifth St. The theft occurred at about 11 p.m. Feb. 8, police reported.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed the suspect walking from a dark-colored truck from the nearby America’s Best Inn, 1725 W. Fifth St., onto the dealership’s parking lot. The man was wearing a bandanna across his face, a stocking cap, coveralls, gloves and tennis shoes, the report said.
He then reportedly entered a 1996 Ford F-250 and 1997 Ford F-250 on the dealership’s lot, only to get out of both pickups after a short time. He then allegedly got into a gold 2004 Chevrolet Silverado and appeared to start the pickup, according to the report.
After starting the Silverado, he allegedly loaded five bumpers, seven mufflers and a set of Laramie brand tires into the bed of the pickup. The bumpers were valued at about $2,500, the mufflers about $800 and the tires about $1,000, the report said.
The suspect then allegedly drove through a chain-link fence surrounding the lot, hitting a tree on the way out, which knocked down a limb and scraped paint off the pickup, according to the report.
The cost to repair the fence was estimated at $1,000. The ignitions on the Ford pickups the man was seen getting into were damaged, and the cost to repair that damage was estimated at $500, the report said.
As of Feb. 12, neither the pickup nor the stolen parts had been recovered, and police were still trying to identify the suspect, Lt. Michael Werges said. Anyone with information about the incident should call Eureka Police at 636-938-6600.