1 night, 2 theft arrests in Hillsboro

By MINDY KEPFIELD

Staff writer

A Hillsboro city police officer arrested two suspected thieves in a one shift, recovering a stolen vehicle and confronting a suspected burglar at a tow lot six hours later.

The first incident occurred Thursday evening when Hillsboro officer John Huebert spotted an illegal tag on a truck driven by Michael A. Stultz, 59, during a traffic stop.

“When he ran a VIN the truck came back as stolen,” Hillsboro police chief Dan Kinning said.

Stultz was arrested for possession of stolen property.

The truck, valued at $1,500, was taken from Wichita. The vehicle will be entered into a database to notify its owner that it has been recovered, Kinney said.

At 3:30 a.m., Hubert noticed a person rifling through cars at a locked Auto House tow yard in the 100 block of N. Ash St.

The suspect took off when he saw he had been spotted, Kinning said.

“He started walking really fast,” he said.

Huebert caught up with and confronted Brian W. Hiebert, 24, Florence, found he had removed an item from an impounded vehicle. Huebert arrested him on suspicion of burglary of a motor vehicle, trespassing and theft.