Porter County sees several auto thefts and break-ins

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Updated: February 19, 2012 8:17AM

Two vehicles were stolen from neighborhoods along Porter County’s Division Road, and a third — stolen in Schererville — was found in the same area.

A silver 2002 Ford F250 Supercab pickup with an attached red snowplow was reported stolen between 9:15 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday from the 200 block of Shasta Lane, in Porter Township. The owner said the vehicle was locked, and he still has both sets of keys.

Then at about 5:40 a.m. Monday, a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Schererville was found unoccupied but still running at the intersection of Lagura Drive and Andrea Court, in Union Township. The white and black 1988 Jeep Cherokee’s steering column had been stripped, police said, and a set of keys not belonging to the owner were found on the Jeep’s passenger seat.

Just across the street from the found vehicle, another pickup was stolen between 10 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday from a driveway in the 300 block of Lagura Drive.

The owner, who said he locked the maroon 2000 Dodge Dakota, believes the theft happened at about 2 a.m., since his dogs were barking around that time.

Someone attempted to steal a fourth vehicle at about 4:45 p.m. Monday on Tower Road, in Center Township, the owner told police.

He said he looked out the window and saw an unknown man standing next to his blue 2001 Jeep Wrangler in the driveway.

When he got outside, the stranger was gone but the plastic was pulled off from around the Jeep’s steering column.

Sgt. Larry LaFlower, public information officer for the Porter County Sheriff’s Department, said the owners of several other cars parked in the same areas near Division Road found their windows shattered and items stolen over the weekend.