Two separate car thefts from late Thursday night through early Friday morning kept Sioux Falls Police on their toes. Each car taken had keys left in them.

Stolen vehicle number one was taken from the Avera Information Technology Center. A man says he left his keys in the car while he was at work and reported the theft just after midnight Friday morning.

Police saw the suspect driving the car at 16th and Duluth around an hour later. There was no chase as the driver pulled into a driveway and fled on foot. Lt. Dave McIntire says a perimeter was formed and the suspect was quickly found.

Joshua Clow, 23, of Sioux Falls was arrested and faces charges of Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Fleeing Police and Possession of a Controlled Substance.

A few hours later, a customer at Bagel Boy on S. Minnesota left their vehicle running while patronizing the establishment when a Toyota Corolla was taken around 4:30 AM. Police soon received another stolen vehicle report just after 5:00 AM from the Sheraton on W. Russell. A Ford Mustang was left running when that heist took place.

Police witnessed the car traveling at a high rate of speed on E. 10th Street then onto I-229. Lt. McIntire says the South Dakota Highway Patrol pursued the Mustang south on I-229 then north on I-29 until the leaving the Interstate and striking a curb on Maple Street and puncturing the tire.

When the suspect was apprehended, the keys to the Corolla taken from Bagel Boy were still in his pocket. Arrested was 25 year-old Jacob Logue of Sioux Falls on charges of Possession of a Stolen Vehicle and Aggravated Eluding. The Corolla was found at the Sheraton. Lt. McIntire says for the most part, the cars that get taken are easy marks.

“I do not remember the last time a professional actually jimmied their way into a car and did something with the ignition system to hot-wire it. It just doesn’t happen. Let’s not give people the opportunity to (steal cars so easily).”


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