NORTH PLATTE, NE — Chad Peterson, a 53-year-old man from Beatrice, has been charged in connection with a string of burglaries at churches around North Platte, police announced.
Deputy North Platte Police Chief Kendall Allison stated that Peterson is the primary suspect in three incidents over a span of three weeks. He was arrested on April 18 and is currently being held on $100,000 bond.
The first burglary occurred on March 26 at a church in the 300 block of W. Fifth Street. A second attempt was reported on April 9 at a church on S. Oak Street. Security footage and automated license plate recognition (ALPR) data from the Flock camera system helped identify the suspect.
The third burglary was reported on April 18 in the 3300 block of Echo Drive. ALPR cameras once again placed the suspect vehicle in the area during the crime. Officers later located the vehicle on S. Jeffers Street, where Peterson was detained.
Police obtained and executed search warrants for two vehicles, discovering burglary tools inside. Peterson now faces charges including:
Burglary
Attempted burglary
Two counts of possession of burglary tools
If convicted on all counts, Peterson could face up to 27 years in prison.
