Bulldozer and Lawnmower Thieves Arrested, Thanks to GPS Tracking
12 May 2016Police in Beech Grove were able to arrest two people who stole more than $100,000 worth of equipment from area businesses.
The thieves, who stole the equipment from establishments on Elmwood Avenue, were located by police, thanks to GPS tracking devices, surveillance video, and witnesses. Police said that they were able to track the stolen items to a neighborhood on the south side of Indianapolis.
The suspects have been identified as Neil Couch, 46, and Keith Shepherd, 38. Both men were arrested for burglary, auto theft, and theft.
The thefts occurred on a Saturday evening, and began with the theft of a pickup truck from JL Squared. Couch stole the truck and returned to the location the next morning with Shepherd, and targeted MacAllister Machinery, an establishment located down the street from JL Squared.
The police said that the two thieves stole and drove off with $116,000 worth of equipment, including:
- Two trucks
- A trailer
- A bulldozer
- A lawn mower
Couch attached a chain to one of the stole trucks to pull off the front gates of one of the businesses. He then attached the trailer and made off with a large sum of merchandise. It didn’t take long for police to locate the thieves, thanks to the GPS tracking device that one of the trucks was outfitted with.
The police were able to use the tracking device to trace the stolen items back Shepherd’s house on South Hamilton Avenue in Indianapolis. The police said that the GPS tracking device was a huge help in locating the suspects.
Shepherd’s neighbors said that they saw him using the stolen equipment, as if it were his own. The thieves used the walk-behind mower to cut the grass before putting it into the garage.
According to court documents, Neil has been bonded and is out of jail since the incident occurred. He and Shepherd both have their first court hearing scheduled for later in the week.
According to Beech Grove Police Department Captain Bob Mercuri, “In this particular case they (the businesses) were smart enough to have the GPS tracking to put it on the vehicle, and it helped out in a great way.”
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