Kittson County (Minn.) Sheriff's office officials suspect a pair of stolen vehicles one reportedly taken from Grand Forks and the other taken from the farm where the first was abandoned might have a connection to an ATM theft Wednesday in Drayton, N.D.
The suspicion arose after Kittson County fire department responded to a fire call on a farm across the Red River from Drayton at about 6:16 a.m. Wednesday. When they arrived, they found a van engulfed in flames, according to Kittson County Chief Deputy Steve Porter.
Porter said the farm was close enough to the border to arouse suspicions that the stolen vehicles might be related to an ATM theft at the Cenex convenience store that occurred in Drayton the same night.
Porter said the Kittson County Sheriff's office is working closely with the FBI, North Dakota BCI, and the Pembina County Sheriff's office to try to find out if the incidents are related.
The van was reportedly stolen from Grand Forks, Porter said. And after the thief or thieves dumped it and lit it on fire, they swiped a red 1990 Chevy pickup from the farm.
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"This is highly unusual for (Kittson County), for a vehicle to be burned and a pickup to be stolen right from a Quonset," Porter said. "I believe it's related and finding the red pickup is crucial to the investigation (into the stolen ATM)."
A red toolbox and white fuel tank are in the pickup's box, Porter said. It had Minnesota license plates MPA693 on when it was taken.
The truck's battery was nearly shot, Porter said, so if it was turned off at any time since it was taken, it may not have restarted.
"It could still be sitting somewhere, so if we could find it, that would be great," he said.
Anyone with information about the stolen pickup is asked to call the Kittson County Sheriff's office at (218) 843-3535.
Reach Nadeau at (701) 780-1118, (800) 477-6572, ext. 118; or snadeau@gfherald.com .
