Four vehicles stolen, later recovered

    Four vehicles were stolen from Imperial, Wauneta and rural Chase County  last week and then recovered.  
    Imperial Police Chief Ryan Wisnieski reported on Dec. 21 a late 1990s Chevrolet pickup with a trailer had been stolen from a back lot in the 200 block of Park Street in Imperial with the keys in the ignition. The vehicle owned by Sergio Almanza was later recovered parked near Champion undamaged.
    Chase County Sheriff Kevin Mueller reported a 2000 Ford Ranger was stolen from a residence in the 300 block of south Shawnee in Wauneta on Dec. 17 at about 12:30 p.m.  
    The keys had been in the ignition.  The vehicle was later located in an alleyway a short distance from where it had been stolen. The vehicle owned by Luis Ramirez had not been damaged and it was returned to the owner, Mueller said.
    On Dec. 18 at 9:30 a.m. the Chase County Sheriff’s Office received a report that two pickups had been stolen from an enclosed shop on Spur 15A, west of Imperial.  
    The vehicles, owned by Wayne Krausnick, included a 1980 Chevrolet pickup service vehicle with welding equipment and a 2002 Ford F-350.  It was believed they were stolen between 3 and 6 a.m. Both vehicles had the keys in their ignitions.
    The 1980 service vehicle was later recovered on 327 Avenue about a mile south of Champion. There was no damage to the vehicle and none of the welding equipment was missing, Mueller said. The vehicle was released to the owner.
    On Dec. 19 at about 5 p.m., the Cheyenne County, Kansas  Sheriff’s Office recovered Krausnick’s 2002 Ford F-350 abandoned in northern Cheyenne County after its location was reported by a citizen passing by.
    The Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office reported the vehicle’s windows had been broken out when it was recovered.  The vehicle has been towed to St. Francis, Kansas where it will later be released to its owner.
    The investigation into these incidents continues.