Criminal grinch steals car full of gifts for humane society

Pocatello police say a thief traded up his mode of transportation Thursday morning, he ditched his BMX bike to make off with someone’s car.

Kenneth Eline said he was just following his his normal routine, when on his way to work he stopped at the Maverick gas station and left his car running as he ran in for a cup of coffee.

“And from the time I walked in to the time I walked to the coffee pot and filled it up then looked out the window, the car was gone. I just about dropped my coffee on the floor, that’s how quick it was. You just don’t think something like that happens in Pocatello,” victim of car theft, Kenneth Eline said.

Police said in that extremely short period of time a thief rode up on a bike, hopped in the car and took off, leaving the bike behind.

Surveilance footage shows the white Honda Accord and the suspected thief riding into the shot.

“So there’s a lot of crime that happens at Christmastime. There are some that have some special circumstances, so we’re trying to get the word out,” Lt. Paul Manning said.

As for those special circumstances, police said one aspect of this crime makes the perpetrator a genuine grinch.

“The car had a lot of community donations that were intended for the Bannock Humane Society,” Manning said.

Eline said the trunk of the car was full of gifts intended for pets and the people who volunteer their time at the humane society.

“We just have a gift exchange for the pets. Our personal pets and for the instructors, now it’s all gone,” Eline said.

So the police are asking locals to keep a lookout for the car.

“It’s a ’92 Honda Accord four door. It’s got chrome hubcaps, it’s pretty clean, pretty straight. At least it was this morning, don’t know what it looks like now,” Eline said.

If anyone spots it, you might just make Christmas for one man and a whole lot of animals.

Anyone with information on the stolen car can call the Pocatello Police at 234-6100.