EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- A Santa Clara man is out hundreds of dollars after his trailer wast stolen from of his driveway this morning. This is the latest case that the Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) likely won’t be able to investigate due to a lack of resources. He’s hoping the public can help him recover the it.
Steve Toftdahl’s trailer was stolen Thursday, July 19 around 5 AM from in front of his home on Lynnbrook Drive. He says a man stopped traffic in front of his santa clara home, hitched the trailer to a small older truck and drove off.
The thief cut through two locks that secured the trailer to a tree. Toftdahl said he woke up as it was happening and confronted the suspect who was getting in his car. The suspect had the trailer hitched to a pick-up truck, according to Toftdahl.
Instead of chasing the suspect, Toftdahl called 911. Since he lives in LCSO’s jurisdiction, Toftdahl was told by dispatchers that they had no one to send. LCSO took a report from Toftdahl over the phone, but the case likely won’t receive an investigation due to a lack of resources.
NewsSource 16 contacted the Lane County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday to confirm the case. A LCSO spokeswoman told NewsSource 16 that beyond a report detailing what happened and a record of the serial numbers, it’s unlikely detectives will investigate the case. Only two detectives remain in the Lane County Sheriff's Office after recent budget cuts.
Toftdahl says he’s now relying on witnesses to come forward.
"There was a couple vehicles parked behind him waiting for him to get back in his vehicle and proceed on and so I know those folks saw the pick-up, saw him possibly, and if they have any information, contact the Sheriff's department,” Toftdahl told NewsSource 16 on Thursday. “They're just so under-manned and there's too much crime in town here."
What makes the case even more unique is where Toftdahl lives in Santa Clara: Lynnbrook Drive is a boundary for the Eugene Police Department and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office jurisdictions. Had Toftdahl lived across the street, the case would have gone to the city's police department.
“I haven't taken anything from anybody else and I don't think its right for them to take it from me,” says Toftdahl.
The trailer is a PJ brand, black with chrome fenders and a plywood front with a spring-loaded tailgate/ramp in the rear. According to Toftdahl, it is relatively new and worth about $1,600.
This is the fourth time Toftdahl has been burglarized in the last five years he’s lived in Santa Clara. He says it's part of the reason why he is moving to rural Lane County.
If you’ve seen the trailer, contact the Lane County Sheriff's Office at 541 682-4150.
