Salem Police have arrested a 29-year-old Salem man for felony theft and leaving the scene of an accident following theft of a city public works pickup and hit and run accident that followed last week.
Police Detectives say Thomas Wilkins of South Washington was found walking Monday night at Shelby and Boone and was taken into custody without incident.
Public Works Director Annette Brushwitz said a man identified as Wilkins had walked through the maintenance shed at Tully Park to the pickup truck. He then drove the pickup, that had the keys inside, out of the shed. City officials didn’t realize the truck was stolen until it was involved in a hit and run crash at South College and Blair Street where it sideswiped another vehicle. The truck wasn’t found until it was located abandoned in the Woodlawn area of Jefferson County where another nearby vehicle had been stolen. That vehicle was later left in Washington County where a third vehicle was stolen that was later found abandoned in Junction City.
While several employees saw the man in the shed, Brushwitz says so many temporary summer employees no one knew he wasn’t an employee.
Salem Police have notified Jefferson and Washington County Sheriff’s Department of Wilkins arrest so some additional charges are possible.
