A 37-year-old Kent man was arrested last week for forgery and theft after a series of ill-fated decisions involving a stolen U-Haul truck, Kent Police announced.
Kent Patrol Officers were dispatched to a local tow company in response to a reported forgery. The incident began when Des Moines Police recovered a stolen U-Haul truck, which was then towed by the company. The truck had been rented, but the suspect refused to return it, prompting U-Haul to file a stolen vehicle report.
The suspect managed to reclaim the truck from the tow company by presenting expired rental paperwork. Shortly after, the tow company realized their mistake and re-entered the truck as stolen.
In a surprising turn of events, the suspect returned to the tow company lot with the stolen U-Haul, presenting fraudulent documents claiming he had purchased the vehicle after it was abandoned. He requested the tow company to sign the documents, transferring ownership to him.
The tow company called 911, and Officers Pursley, Quidachay, and Sergeant Barbour responded promptly. The suspect was detained on arrival. During the arrest, officers found shaved keys and other items indicating a pattern of vehicle theft. The suspect was booked for forgery, a felony, and the case was referred to the Detective Unit for further investigation.
Detective Crane added an additional felony charge of theft of a motor vehicle. The suspect had previously been charged with theft of rental property, a misdemeanor, by Auburn District Court for initially refusing to return the truck.
“Parlaying a misdemeanor into two felonies, and returning to the scene of the crime with the stolen property, along with delivering evidence to the Officers that this isn’t your first time…perhaps it’s time to reconsider your choice of occupation,” police said.
“Nice job Sgt. Barbour and crew!”
For those in crisis or seeking to stop criminal behavior, resources are available 24/7 by calling 988.
