A Princeton man has been arrested in connection to a string of vehicle thefts in local neighborhoods, while another suspect is still at large.
Assistant Princeton Police Chief Shane Allison reported that officers responded to eight different thefts from unlocked vehicles on Wednesday in the Cedar Creek Road and Greenspoint subdivisions. He said stolen items included purses, wallets, money, credit cards, vehicle keys, and two handguns. Video surveillance captured at least two suspects, but Allison said they were unable to be identified from the videos.
Shortly after 4:00 Friday morning, officers responded to a theft complaint on Holly Lane and noticed a suspicious vehicle parked at 1096 South Jefferson Street. After monitoring the area, officers said they saw the vehicle leaving the driveway and conducted a traffic stop. Officers said a passenger fled on foot and remains at large. The driver, 20-year-old Bryce Ketchey, was arrested after officers said they found several items, including a handgun, in the vehicle.
Ketchey was charged with receiving stolen property – a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, prescription not in proper container, theft of a controlled substance, receiving stolen property over $500, possession of marijuana, and other violations. He was lodged in the Caldwell County Jail.
After daybreak, Allison reported that officers started receiving multiple more complaints of vehicle thefts in the Holly Lane area. In one instance, he said the suspects broke a window to enter a locked vehicle.
After getting a search warrant for the vehicle Ketchey was driving, police reportedly found several items linked to the Wednesday and Friday thefts. Detectives are now working to identify the owners of the recovered property.
If you notice any items missing from your vehicle or have information about these thefts, you are asked to contact the Princeton Police Department at 270-365-4657.
The investigation is ongoing, and police said additional charges are expected.
