LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – After a series of burglaries earlier in the week, a plane was stolen Saturday evening out of the North Las Vegas airport and landed in the middle of the desert near Barstow.
Police said a 2020 Kitfox fixed-wing single-engine type aircraft was burglarized by 40-year-old suspect Damian Zukaitis sometime after 2 p.m. on December 30. Police said the suspect took off with the plane and landed in a field near the Barstow-Daggett Airport.
According to the plane’s owner, the plane was found with part of a marijuana joint on the floor and numerous beer cans in the cockpit. It was unable to fly back to North Las Vegas due to the damage.
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office apprehended the suspect. Zukaitis faces charges of possession of a stolen airplane and transporting stolen property across state lines.
Police suspect Zukaitis is responsible for three burglaries to other planes on December 27, 28, and 29 and noted that one of the planes was burglarized twice.
The owner of one of the burglarized planes tells FOX5 he raised concerns twice that someone appeared to try to steal his plane. A spokesperson with the Harry Reid Airport released the following statement:
On Saturday, December 30, an aircraft was stolen from the North Las Vegas Airport. This remains an active investigation. Any further questions about the incident should be directed to the North Las Vegas Police Department.
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