Rash of stolen tailgates in Lafayette

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – Lafayette police are warning nearby auto dealers about thieves stealing tailgates right off their trucks. There have been four thefts just in the last week in Lafayette.

Manolo Auto Sales has surveillance video that shows a van driving onto their property early Sunday. Minutes later, the thief removes the tailgate and proceeds to stuff a total of four tailgates into his van.

“I don’t know, maybe, they make two to three thousand in 10 minutes,” Manolo Auto Sales owner Manuel Gaeta said.

One victim said it’s an expensive crime and investigators said it only takes moments.

“It’s a matter of seconds,” Lafayette Police Lt. Brian Gossard said. “Maybe a minute to remove a tailgate.”

First the thief pulls up to the truck, pulls the tailgate down and cuts the cords.

“The metal wiring they can take off,” said Gossard. “And one person can do it by themselves.”

Auto Express owner Nathan Buche said this is becoming a real problem in the area.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Buche. “This is the second time it’s happened to us in the last six weeks.”

He said he found some of his tailgates somewhere unexpected.

“Found the tailgates for sale on eBay a week after they were stolen the last time,” said Buche.

This time around, he’s unsure where they will end up.

“They’re all late at night or early morning when there is nobody out,” Gossard said.

Brads Motors and McCarty Motors each had tailgates stolen off the lot on Monday. Raisor Ford also became a victim over the weekend.

All four targeted shops are in the same area near Veterans Memorial Parkway and Creasy Lane in Lafayette.

“If you’re coming into town, that’s what you’re going to see is those dealers,” said Gossard.

At this point, police have made no arrests.