Neuschwander is a maintenance worker for a rental company and he uses that truck, a 2021 Midnight Blue Nissan Frontier, to do his job at properties all over the city.
Erik Nuschwander had his work truck stolen in the St. Johns neighborhood while he was working, September 3, 2024 (cortesy Erik Nuschwander).
Erik Nuschwander had his work truck stolen in the St. Johns neighborhood while he was working, September 3, 2024 (cortesy Erik Nuschwander).
Erik Nuschwander had his work truck stolen in the St. Johns neighborhood while he was working, September 3, 2024 (cortesy Erik Nuschwander).
Erik Nuschwander had his work truck stolen in the St. Johns neighborhood while he was working, September 3, 2024 (cortesy Erik Nuschwander).
Erik Nuschwander had his work truck stolen in the St. Johns neighborhood while he was working, September 3, 2024 (KOIN)
Erik Nuschwander had his work truck stolen in the St. Johns neighborhood while he was working. He wrote the license plate number on his wife’s car, September 3, 2024 (KOIN)
It started out as a normal day as he was fixing a ceiling fan at a property in Portland’s St. Johns Neighborhood. Neuschwander told KOIN 6 News someone grabbed his keys from his job site and snatched his rig right off the street.
“I didn’t really know what to think. I just got it a month ago, I was shocked,” he said. “I worked very hard for it.”
The St. Johns Neighborhood ranks #7 in car thefts across the city, according to the Portland Police Bureau. But even still, Neuschwander said he couldn’t fathom how someone dared to steal it in the middle of the day.
“They took my whole truck. They took everything. It’s not like they pickpocketed me. To me, it seems like it’s a pretty big crime.”
To the Portland Police Bureau’s credit, car thefts are down 44% from this time last year.
However, there was a concerning spike recently. PPB’s monthly stolen vehicle statistics show there was a 25% increase in car thefts from June to July of this year. That’s the highest rate since December of last year.
PPB said car thefts not only disrupt lives but they can lead to more serious crimes. Even still, police told KOIN 6 News that people should use the non-emergency line unless there’s a serious threat, like an armed carjacking or a child in the car.
Neuschwander said he called the non-emergency line when his car was stolen but officers never showed up. However, he did file a police report over the phone. He said he thinks an urgent situation like this should be met with a more urgent response.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I was on hold calling 911. They’re definitely not going to answer non-emergency,” Neuschwander said. “And I’m not even saying it’s their fault, they’re just overloaded.”
Since the theft, he’s decided to take things into his own hands by using his wife’s car as a mobile billboard showing the stolen truck’s license plate number: 218 PZV.
“After 20 years of working, I finally got this truck and it was gone,” Neuschwander said.
Police recommend locking your doors and using anti-theft devices on your car.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0