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Chopped-up Corvette helps police uncover massive burglary ring
03/19/2003
From Staff Reports
A tip about a stolen car led police in the Denton County town of Little
Elm to crack a huge burglary ring that crosses state lines.
Investigators said it all started when they found a vintage Corvette
which, it turns out, belonged to Celina resident Bill Stearns.
"They cut it, all at the frame, into three pieces," Stearns said. "Then,
they cut the radiator at the front."
Stearns called the 1967 sports car his pride and joy. Someone stole the
Corvette out of the garage of Stearns' home, and when police found it a
few months later, it was in two pieces.
"I was devastated that they would chop it up," Stearns said.
The discovery of Stearns' car led Little Elm police to local houses, and
later a business. Their search turned up a mountain of stolen property,
from cars and car parts to a plethora of motorcycles, lawn mowers and
even household appliances.
"You can see they're almost identical Mustangs," said Little Elm Police
Sgt. Don Diviney, pointing to some of the recovered vehicles. "They were
switching the VIN plates around.
"We've (also) got a washer and a dryer that was seized from a
construction site burglary."
Police expect to clear at least 40 burglaries that occurred over the
past three years in a vast geographic area extending from Durant,
Oklahoma southward to the town of Ovilla in Ellis County.
"This is a very good example of why people should record serial numbers
on items at their homes in case (they are) stolen," Diviney said.
So far, police have arrested one person, 32-year-old William John
Campbell. Campbell has been charged with posession of stolen property,
and authorities expect to make more arrests soon.
For Bill Stearns, that's not soon enough. He said whoever cut up his
precious Corvette wasn't very smart.
"The car, in its restored condition, is worth $70,000 to $100,000,"
Stearns said. "The most they could get out of it by cutting it up is
probably $1,000 for the motor and transmission, and that's it."
Little Elm police believe the culprits stealing the items were doing
more collecting than selling. Also, even though police have solved the
majority of burglaries in their city over a three-year period, they're
still calling the investigation "the tip of the iceberg."
03/19/2003
From Staff Reports
A tip about a stolen car led police in the Denton County town of Little
Elm to crack a huge burglary ring that crosses state lines.
Investigators said it all started when they found a vintage Corvette
which, it turns out, belonged to Celina resident Bill Stearns.
"They cut it, all at the frame, into three pieces," Stearns said. "Then,
they cut the radiator at the front."
Stearns called the 1967 sports car his pride and joy. Someone stole the
Corvette out of the garage of Stearns' home, and when police found it a
few months later, it was in two pieces.
"I was devastated that they would chop it up," Stearns said.
The discovery of Stearns' car led Little Elm police to local houses, and
later a business. Their search turned up a mountain of stolen property,
from cars and car parts to a plethora of motorcycles, lawn mowers and
even household appliances.
"You can see they're almost identical Mustangs," said Little Elm Police
Sgt. Don Diviney, pointing to some of the recovered vehicles. "They were
switching the VIN plates around.
"We've (also) got a washer and a dryer that was seized from a
construction site burglary."
Police expect to clear at least 40 burglaries that occurred over the
past three years in a vast geographic area extending from Durant,
Oklahoma southward to the town of Ovilla in Ellis County.
"This is a very good example of why people should record serial numbers
on items at their homes in case (they are) stolen," Diviney said.
So far, police have arrested one person, 32-year-old William John
Campbell. Campbell has been charged with posession of stolen property,
and authorities expect to make more arrests soon.
For Bill Stearns, that's not soon enough. He said whoever cut up his
precious Corvette wasn't very smart.
"The car, in its restored condition, is worth $70,000 to $100,000,"
Stearns said. "The most they could get out of it by cutting it up is
probably $1,000 for the motor and transmission, and that's it."
Little Elm police believe the culprits stealing the items were doing
more collecting than selling. Also, even though police have solved the
majority of burglaries in their city over a three-year period, they're
still calling the investigation "the tip of the iceberg."
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