Due to recent thefts from vehicles at church parking lots, on Sunday just before 10 a.m., an officer was at Saint Michael’s church at 9101 S 78th Street. The officer saw a man standing next to a blue Subaru Outback with a broken window and a green Toyota Tacoma running nearby. The officer recognized this vehicle as one that had been seen on security video from the previously reported thefts.
The officer contacted the man, 45-year-old Aaron Stednitz, who was taken into custody. As officers checked the green Toyota they found that it had two different license plates both of which were stolen. Upon running the VIN, officers determined that the vehicle had been stolen on September 26th from the 700 block of W Calvert. The officers found the GPS inside the vehicle with the address that Stednitz provided as his home address and was listed on his driver’s license.
Inside the vehicle, officers located a case with 0.9g of suspected methamphetamine in a clear bag and a glass pipe. The substance field tested positive for methamphetamine.
Officers also found tools consistent with what would be used during a burglary or theft from a vehicle, such as, a mini-crowbar, long flat head screwdriver, glass breaking multi-tool, latex gloves, flashlights, binoculars, and other miscellaneous tools. Officers also found items that are commonly stolen from vehicles such as gift cards, vehicle keys, radar detector, GPS unit, and other assorted electronics. Officers reviewed security video from the church that showed Stednitz get out of the Toyota and get into the victim’s vehicle in the lot.
Officers were able to connect Stednitz to other reported thefts, as well. Stednitz was arrested for felony Theft by Receiving (auto theft), Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Burglar’s Tools, and three counts of Theft by Receiving and one count of Theft by Unlawful Taking.