(Spencer)– Three men from Omaha have been charged in connection with a recent rash of vehicle break-ins in the area and with atleast one stolen vehicle.
Spencer Police Chief Michael Lashbrook tells KUOO news his department received several reports of vehicles that were broken into yesterday at the Q-R-S parking lot in north Spencer. One of them, a van, was reported stolen from the parking lot around 9:30 a.m. yesterday. It was later recovered in Spirit Lake.
Lashbrook says officers were called to a disturbance later in the day at the South Park Mall in Spencer. Upon investigating that, authorities recovered some stereo equipment that had been reported missing from the van that had been stolen.
As the result of their investigation, police arrested 18-year-old Joshua Ray Rikes, 19-year-old John A. Ward and 20-year-old Garlan Woods…all from Omaha. Rikes and Woods were charged with conspiracy to commit second degree theft and possession of stolen property. Ward was charged with second degree theft and possession of stolen property. All three are being held at the Clay County Jail on bond of 16,250-dollars each.
Authorities in both Spencer and Spirit Lake say an investigation is continuing and that additional charges may be filed. It’s believed the three may have also been involved in vehicle break-ins yesterday at the Polaris Industries parking lot in Spirit Lake.
