Man Arrested Following Theft of Pickup Truck From SW Lincoln Neighborhood

LINCOLN–(KFOR Feb. 7)–A 19-year-old man was arrested, after he was caught with a stolen truck early Monday morning in a southwest Lincoln neighborhood.

Lincoln Police arrested Jesse Mora-Tapia for theft by receiving, resisting arrest, obstructing an officer and criminal trespass.

Police were called just after 5am Monday to the area west of Highway 77 and West Denton Road, where officers talked to a 45-year-old man, who said he woke up hearing the sound of his 2006 Chevy Silverado starting up and leaving his driveway. The victim then got into another vehicle and followed the truck, until he lost sight of it around 32nd and Pine Lake Road. Arriving officers showed up and saw the stolen Silverado driving off at a high-rate of speed behind another truck, a stolen 2016 Ford F150 that was taken last July from the 2500 block of Southview Circle.

Police say the 45-year-old man went home and contacted them again, saying he saw the F150 had returned and was parked in the street. Another truck, a 2017 GMC Sierra, was parked in the middle of the street near the F150 and one of the occupants, later identified as Mora-Tapia, was seen running from the truck toward homes and parked vehicles. Officers showed up and determined the Sierra was stolen from another neighborhood, also in the area of Highway 77 and West Denton Road.

The truck started to accelerate, as an officer approached it but the vehicle slowed down. After Mora-Tapia hopped into the bed of the truck, he rolled off a bed cover to the truck and into the street. A search of him found keys to the stolen Silverado. Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer on Tuesday said each of the mentioned stolen trucks were left unlocked with the keys inside.

The investigation is ongoing and if you have information on these string of thefts, call Lincoln Police at 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.