An 18-year-old who was living in his Jeep in Cortez is seeking help after his vehicle and all his belongings were stolen last week.
The vehicle’s owner, Ryker Lancaster-Milligan, said the Jeep Cherokee was taken from outside Burger Boy, where he works. He had recently moved into the Jeep, and all his belongings were inside.
“Everything I’ve worked for for the past 18 years, including my vehicle, and all the things that were in there, just disappeared with my vehicle,” he said.
Cortez police officer Koby Guttridge responded to the scene just before 8 p.m. Jan. 8 after receiving a report of a stolen vehicle, according to the police report.
After Guttridge arrived, Lancaster-Milligan told him he had started the engine and left the Jeep unlocked on the west side of the building to warm it up. He went inside the restaurant, and when he returned, the car was gone.
“Ryker stated he believed someone was playing a joke on him and after asking co-workers if they had taken it, he called the police,” Guttridge wrote in the report. “I asked Ryker if he had any idea who could have taken his vehicle, he stated he had no idea.”
Guttridge valued the blue 2000 Jeep Cherokee at $6,500. He said it was stolen between 7:45 p.m. and 7:57 p.m.
After Guttridge spoke with Lancaster-Milligan, dispatch alerted him that the plate number for the Jeep had been called in earlier that day. The vehicle was southbound and was called as a possible DUI case.
Dispatch believed it to be the same vehicle.
“The vehicle was not able to be located after being aired,” Guttridge wrote.
No surveillance cameras recorded the theft, and police have no suspects or leads, the police report said. Police consider the investigation inactive unless they get leads.
Lancaster-Milligan has started a fundraiser through Facebook to help recover some of his property’s value.
ealvero@the-journal.com
