By SUSAN MARSHALL

Staff writer

Pickup trucks belonging to local individuals were stolen just days before Christmas. A 2001 Chevrolet pickup belonging to Tyler Slater of Peabody was stolen from his residence at 501 N. Elm St. on Dec. 21. The keys were in the vehicle.

The pickup was recovered by Harvey County Sheriff’s officers on Christmas day after it had gotten stuck in the mud on Dutch Ave. between Osage and Harvest Hill Rds. in Harvey County.

“The Harvey County officers called a wrecking service to extract the vehicle and Peabody police officers took possession of the truck and brought it in for examination,” Peabody Police Chief Bruce Burke said. “It was then returned to the owner, Tyler Slater.”

Another pickup, a 2010 Ford F-150 was stolen Dec. 22 from Shirley Strotkamp’s residence at 201 N. Pine St. in Peabody. Strotkamp said she thought her truck had been locked, but she has two sets of keys and both are accounted for so she is unsure how the thief was able to start the pickup and drive it away.

Chuck Mead, mechanic at Peabody Farm Service, said that stealing a vehicle in this day and age is not as simple as just hotwiring it.

“A 2010 (model) would have a good security system and lots of barriers to override before it could be just driven away,” he said. “I’d say you’d have to have the key. Or have a wrecker tow it out of there — and that would not be easy to do and not attract attention.”

The pickup has not been recovered. Because the theft is an ongoing investigation, Burke refused to discuss whether or not his department has any leads or information about the theft.

Burke said anyone with information about any theft or criminal activity in the Peabody area can use the online anonymous tip file available on the city’s web site www.peabodyks.com in the police heading under “departments.”