COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Approximately 50 smash-and-grab burglaries in just four weeks has the Cottonwood police chief trying something new to motivate people to help him catch the person or persons responsible.
“We’ve had anywhere five to 13-14 cars at a time,” said Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Ryan Shosted. “One car that was broken into actually had a gun stolen out of it, so we take this very serious.”
Investigators recently got a lead; a surveillance photo of a white pickup truck. Police think the driver is linked to all the cases.
Instead of offering the typical monetary reward for information, the police chief has something else in mind to motivate people to help catch the bad guy.
"The chief has personally offered to buy anybody that gives us information to the capture dinner for two," Shosted said. The deal: dinner for two at Market Street Grill in exchange for information leading to an arrest.
It’s a small price to pay to catch the burglar and put a stop to the crime spree.
“We take it personally when crimes happen in our area,” Shosted said. “We want to stop them, and if we can offer a small incentive for people, dinner for two, we're happy to provide that to them.”
With a stolen gun in the wrong hands, this is top priority for police. Police say they are possibly looking for a male in his 20s with blonde hair. Anyone with information is asked to call the Cottonwood Heights Police Department at 801-840-4000.