Car stolen, driven into structure causing $10k in damage in Manhattan

MANHATTAN (KSNT) - The Riley County Police Department (RCPD) responded to multiple reports of vehicle burglaries and one vehicle that was driven into a structure Wednesday.

At 11:36 p.m. on Sept. 11, officers responded to the 2500 block of Blueline Circle, Buttonwood, Brockman and Ewing Streets for reports of vehicle burglaries. According to the RCPD, officers found multiple vehicles had been burglarized and one was driven into a structure in the 2500 block of Brockman Street, causing $10,000 in damage.

RCPD Spokeswoman Ashley Tokoi told 27 News there have been 84 reported vehicle burglaries as of Sept. 1, 2024. She said the number of incidents are still below the five-year average. She said there was a spike in reports between June and August. She said March and April set five-year lows.

In July this year, the RCPD had a string of nine vehicle thefts within 30 days. Police said many of the thefts could've been avoided. They reminded people to keep valuables out of their cars, keep their vehicles locked, and not leave their keys in their cars.

The RCPD also worked four vehicle thefts over the weekend from Friday, Aug. 9 to Sunday, Aug. 11. Police officers filed a recovery of stolen property report on Aug. 9 after recovering and returning a stolen Ford F250 to its owner.

“Four of them have actually been instances where people have left their keys in their vehicles unlocked, making it a pretty easy target for a suspect,” Officer Manning with Riley County Police Department told 27 News in August.

The RCPD is asking anyone with information in the community to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 785-539-7777. Using Crime Stoppers you can remain anonymous and qualify for a $1,000 cash reward.

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