String of petty thefts continues in Libby

The Libby Looters remain at large. Homeowners on Glendora Avenue, Conifer Road, Pioneer Road and Vanderwood Road reported car thefts and trespass Saturday night. Similar crimes, along with several bicycle thefts, were also reported in the Rawlings Tracts area and near Dome Mountain Avenue during Halloween night. 

The sprees were the latest in what has been a busy fall for petty thieves. Lincoln County Undersheriff Brent Faulker said he believes the crimes are connected. 

The thefts may be minor, but residents have had enough.

“I am just praying to get up in the middle of the night and find a couple of guys walking near my yard with bikes,” Joe McElmurry said. “I’d drag them into my yard, and there would probably be some injuries before law enforcement got there.”

A few bikes were removed from McElmurry’s property during Halloween night. He said one mountain bike had a bad tire and was found a few blocks away. Neighbors chatting on Facebook say they, too, have found bikes apparently ditched in distant neighbors’ yards.

“Deputies are actively investigating these cases and need your help,” Faulkner wrote in a press release. “Please call the sheriff’s office with any tips or suspects.”

Faulkner stressed the importance of reporting all incidents, saying every bit of information helps.

No arrests have been made as authorities have sought the Libby Looters for months. Previous reports tied the thieves to the Woodway area.

While not certain, McElmurry said he might have had a conversation with the crew.

“These three young guys were walking some bikes down the street,” McElmurry said. “I spoke with them, and it got pretty confrontational. I told them to leave the bikes, and they left. It’s not that they are taking something valuable, but, heck, I wouldn’t care if they stole a pencil from me, I would still feel violated.”