JournalStar.com

Broken headlight leads to stolen computers

By the Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 05:17:50 pm CDT
Police say what started as a traffic stop late Wednesday on a car with a broken headlight ended up clearing a burglary that hadn’t been discovered.

It started at 11:48 p.m. when an officer spotted the red Plymouth Acclaim near 48th and Y streets and tried to stop the car a block later. Officer Katie Flood said the car stopped, but as the officer walked up, the car drove away. The officer initiated a pursuit, but terminated it soon after because of unsafe speeds.

Police found the car about 10 minutes later, abandoned about a mile away, near North Cotner Boulevard and Vine Street, Flood said.

Officers Jeff Urkevich and Tyler Dean, canine handlers, were called there and flushed out Larry Alt, 25, and Brian Hassenplug, 18, who Flood said were hiding in a yard. After a short foot chase, they caught the men in a parking lot near 66th and Vine streets.

Inside the car were a Dell laptop computer, a Dell computer monitor and a bag for the laptop, which police quickly tracked to Northwest Electric, 5800 N. 58th St.

Alt, 2105 S. 49th St., and Hassenplug, 4720 Randolph St., were arrested on suspicion of theft by receiving stolen property and possession of burglar’s tools. Alt was also booked on suspicion of burglary.