By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
A pickup stolen at a west Salina restaurant was later found at the scene of a theft case in the northern part of the city.
Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning that a 23-year-old Kansas man told police on Saturday that he had left his 2013 Ford F150 pickup parked at Russell's Restaurant, 671 Westport Boulevard, while he was out of town on a job. When the man returned to Salina, he discovered that the pickup, valued at $8,500, was missing. Items in the pickup that also were missing included a Remington 870 shotgun valued at $800 and 55 waterfowl decoys valued at $400.
At 1 a.m. on Monday, officers were called to the Super 8 Hotel, 120 E. Diamond Drive, for the report of someone stealing items from one pickup and putting them into another. Forrester said the person was described as a Black man with piercings and tattoos on his face. When the owner of the pickup that was being stolen from confronted the man and told him he was going to call the police, the man ran to the east.
Items taken included a Cordova cooler valued at $250 and two black and red Huskey tool bags valued at $350.
As it turns out, the items were being taken from a black Chevrolet pickup and were being put into the Ford F150 that had been stolen earlier from the Russell's parking lot, Forrester said.
Officers found the man, identified as Keyshawn Edwards, 25, of Salina, hiding in the trees just east of the hotel property, Forrester said. Edwards allegedly was found to be in possession of marijuana when he was arrested.
Edwards also had an active warrant from Saline County District Court for probation violation, Forrester said.
Edwards was arrested on the warrant and on the following requested charges, according to Forrester.
●Possession of marijuana
●Possession of drug paraphernalia
●Theft
●Possession of stolen property
The owner of the stolen pickup retrieved it from the scene, Forrester said.