Stillwater Police: Plan to Steal License Plate Thwarted Because Suspect Couldn't Get the Screws Loose

A Lake St. Croix Beach man was caught on surveillance camera last week trying to swipe a license plate from a vehicle that he reportedly planned on using to commit a gas drive-off.

But according to a police report, the man’s attempt to steal the license plate failed, because he couldn’t get the screws loose.

Regardless of the futile theft attempt, the 19-year-old man was cited for lurking with intent, tampering with a motor vehicle and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the report:

Police were called to at about 3:38 p.m. Jan. 12 for a report of a man trying to steal license plates from the parking lot of the hospital.

A witness who was sitting in her vehicle at the time of the attempted theft told police she saw a Jeep Cherokee with a broken out window pull into the parking lot just before noon.

The man got out of the passenger side of the Jeep, walk in front of her vehicle and approach a Jeep parked in the next stall with a screwdriver in his hand, the report states. The witness watched as the man tried to steal the license plate, only to walk away from the vehicle, empty-handed.

Video surveillance verified the witness’ story.

Later that night (at 10:03 p.m.) while officers were looking for the suspect’s vehicle, an officer called in a report that stopped a Jeep matching the suspect’s vehicle once again parked at the hospital. According to police, the passenger matched the description of the man seen on video.

Police told the man he was being detained for an investigation of tampering with a motor vehicle and lurking, the report states. While searching the man, police found two syringes, a torch and a spoon used to cook methamphetamine.

After questioning, the man eventually admitted to police that he tried to steal the license plate earlier that day, but didn't because he couldn’t get the screws loose, the report states. The man told police after he stole the plates, he intended on committing a gas drive-off.

The man also told police that he attempted to steal other license plates in Wisconsin, but “got spooked” and did not follow through with it.