Kennebunk car thefts: Stolen Jeep recovered in Saco, returned to owner

Shawn P. Sullivan, Portsmouth Herald
·2 min read

KENNEBUNK, Maine — A local woman has her Jeep Renegade back after reporting it stolen from her Day Street residence last weekend.

Heather Smith, the owner of the vehicle, said it was not damaged in any way during the three days it was missing.

“I am very lucky to have it turn up undamaged and with nothing missing,” Smith said.

This Jeep Renegade, stolen from a home on Day Street in Kennebunk, Maine, at some point overnight on March 29, was recovered at an apartment complex in Saco, Maine, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
This Jeep Renegade, stolen from a home on Day Street in Kennebunk, Maine, at some point overnight on March 29, was recovered at an apartment complex in Saco, Maine, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

Smith said the person who spotted her missing Jeep and reported it found had read a Seacoastonline news article about the theft.

Deputy Police Chief Eric O’Brien confirmed that someone saw the missing Jeep parked at an apartment complex on Beach Street in Saco on Tuesday and reported it to the local authorities at around 8:30 p.m.

O’Brien said no one has been arrested in the case.

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The theft was not an isolated incident but instead was one of a few vehicle-related offenses in Kennebunk last weekend, Police Chief Bob MacKenzie said earlier this week.

Police received a report of a suspicious vehicle parked along the side of the road on Chamberlain Way at around 4:40 a.m. on Saturday, according to MacKenzie. The police learned later that morning that the vehicle had been stolen out of Wells.

Chamberlain Way and Day Street, where Smith resides, are close to each other in the York Street area, prompting police to believe the two vehicle thefts last weekend could be related.

When asked if he thought the incidents involved the Felony Lane Gang, a known gang of car thieves with a presence in Maine, O’Brien replied, “Most likely not.”

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Several people in the Day Street-Chamberlain Way area reported car burglaries that took place last Friday night into Saturday morning, according to MacKenzie. In some instances, cash was stolen, he added.

All burglarized vehicles had been unlocked, MacKenzie said. In a social media post last weekend, the police department urged people always to lock their vehicles.

“Don’t make things easy for a burglar,” the KPD wrote.

Anyone who has information that could help police locate the suspect or suspects involved in last weekend’s vehicle thefts and burglaries is asked to call Kennebunk Detective Steven Borst at (207) 985-2102, ext. 1319.

On Wednesday, Smith thanked everyone who kept an eye out for her Jeep while it was missing. She also urged people to take precautions to avoid having their vehicles stolen.

“Things like this can happen to anyone,” she said.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk car thefts: Stolen Jeep recovered in Saco, returned to owner