14-year-old boy arrested after auto thefts, police search for 2 more juveniles involved

SHEBOYGAN – Sheboygan police arrested a 14-year-old boy Thursday in connection with auto thefts.

Around 2:21 a.m. Thursday, an officer tried to stop a vehicle at the 3000 block of Calumet Drive. The vehicle failed to stop for the officer at Evergreen Park, and the occupants abandoned the vehicle and ran away, according to the Sheboygan Police Department.

Police located several individuals involved, and later found out the vehicle had been stolen earlier in the morning but had not yet been reported.

The 14-year-old boy, from Sheboygan, was arrested and has been referred to juvenile authorities for auto theft charges. Police are working to locate the two other juveniles connected with the incident.

During investigation of the incident, police learned all three juveniles were involved in stealing a different vehicle from the north side of Sheboygan July 29. Both vehicles were recovered and returned to their owners, according to Sheboygan police.

For all three juveniles, police are referring charges of theft and operating a motor vehicle without owner's consent to the Sheboygan County District Attorney's Office.

Police said in both cases, the juveniles targeted unlocked vehicles with push-to-start ignitions that had key fobs left inside.

In a news release, Sheboygan police reminded residents to not leave keys in their vehicles, remove any valuables and lock the doors. Officers are conducting inspections of vehicles in targeted neighborhoods "to help remind residents of the avoidable risk of these types of thefts," Sheboygan police said, and will leave a card on the windshield of inspected vehicles.

Police encourage anyone with information about the auto thefts to call 920-459-3333.

Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli.