Excelsior Springs police track down suspect involved in string of car thefts

Yahoo

29-01-2025

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. — Surveillance footage, a distinctive pair of shoes, and a call from a mom helped Excelsior Springs police track down a 15-year-old suspect accused of breaking into and stealing multiple cars.
'Twelve of those were just property damage where he had tried to steal them, went through their vehicle, and stole items from their vehicle,' said Lt. Ryan Dowdy with the Excelsior Springs Police Department. 'Then the other three were successful vehicle thefts where he was able to take the car for some period of time.'
The first car break-in was reported on December 17.
Dowdy said the 15-year-old suspect targeted Hyundais and Kias in parking lots off Jesse James Road.
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In recent years, Kia and Hyundai cars have been hit more nationwide after viral videos showed how easy certain models are to steal or break into.
A big piece of the puzzle was surveillance footage given to police that showed the teen wearing a mask and the same pair of shoes during the thefts.
During the investigation, officers learned that the suspect would steal a car, drive around for a little while, and then drop the stolen car off near the original location from which it was stolen.
The stolen vehicles were also left with damage.
'I can't explain how valuable video and surveillance cameras are to someone's house and protecting them. And then, if you are a victim of a crime, turning that (footage) into the police,' Dowdy said.
During the investigation, police received a call from a mom who lived in the area.
'So what happened was his mom called. It was just another kind of routine call where she didn't know that he was committing these thefts, but she called wanting help with another issue regarding parenting and just some advice,' Dowdy said. 'So one of our officers went over there, and while they were speaking, the mom was kind of mentioning some behavioral problems with the child.'
During the conversation, the officer noticed the same pair of shoes the suspect wore in the surveillance footage.
'He started putting two and two together. He was in the center location where we'd been looking for him (the suspect). The officer asked if he could look around the kid's room. At that point, they found some stolen debit cards, some stolen driver's licenses, and things of that nature. They waited for him to come home. Once he came home with mom there, officers spoke to him, and they were able to get him to admit what he had been doing,' Dowdy explained.
Dowdy said similar thefts have started happening in nearby Wood Heights.
ESPD has contacted law enforcement in that area, letting them know it could be the same suspect.
'We think that based on where those vehicles were stolen, where we know now that he was going to, that he's probably their suspect,' Dowdy said.
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Dowdy said all of the cars impacted by break-ins or theft were left unlocked.
Here are some tips from ESPD about how to prevent theft:
Always lock your car.
If you drive a car susceptible to theft, Such as a Kia or Hyundai, you should utilize aftermarket devices like steering wheel locks.
If you drive a car susceptible to theft, you can park a different vehicle behind it to deter thieves.
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