BAXTER COUNTY, Ark. (KAIT) — A bottle of water purchased with a stolen credit card helped investigators crack a string of marina thefts, leading to the arrest of two Kansas men in Baxter County.
Beginning July 12, surveillance footage captured three suspects breaking into several boats at three marinas on Lake Norfork. Stolen items included fishing poles, tackle boxes, GPS units, and other high-value boating gear.
The suspects were seen fleeing in a 2004 gold Lexus sedan. When one of them used a credit card to buy a bottle of water at a local store, investigators traced the transaction and identified the cardholder. This crucial lead helped tie the suspect to pawn shop transactions in Independence, Missouri.
Detectives coordinated with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Kansas, which had already arrested two people for similar marina thefts. Many stolen items from Baxter County were recovered during that investigation.
Authorities identified all three suspects. Two of them—19-year-old Lukas Trey Helm of Olathe, Kansas, and 20-year-old Dane Phillip Christensen of Lenexa, Kansas—turned themselves in at the Baxter County Detention Center.
Both face the following charges:
8 counts of felony breaking or entering
5 counts of felony theft of property
1 count of misdemeanor theft of property
4 counts of misdemeanor criminal trespass
They were released on $15,000 bonds and are scheduled to appear in circuit court on August 25.
The third suspect, 19-year-old MacGyver Michael Sabin of Gardner, Kansas, remains at large with an active bench warrant for his arrest.
