Police seek help in storage unit theft of paintings

The crime

About 10 a.m. Monday, March 13, a staff member making the rounds at Public Storage in the 1100 block of South Rock Road noticed the lock had been cut off one of the storage units. From the business’ video, as well as video from neighboring properties, detectives determined that the suspects – driving a red truck – made two trips that Monday morning. The stolen items included patio furniture and several paintings.

The paintings were landscapes by Marco Sassone, landscapes with birds by Milford Zornes and animals by John Ruthven. Two paintings of ships by John Stobart also were taken. They were stored in brown boxes and can be seen in the back of the truck caught on video.

The video shows a man from the passenger side of the truck get out and enter a pass code to access the storage facility.

Whom to contact

If you have information about this crime or any felony crime, call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111. You can also submit a tip online at www.WichitaCrimeStoppers.com or via the P3 Tips mobile app. All ways are secure and anonymous. If your tip leads to an arrest you may be eligible for a cash reward up to $2,500, and Crime Stoppers will never ask your name. Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County, a division of the Wichita Crime Commission, is a nonprofit organization of citizens against crime that relies 100 percent on donations from the community to pay for tips.

Crime Stoppers case number: 1716

Department case number: 17C16676

Lead detective: Detective Miller, Wichita Police Department

This story was originally published April 28, 2017 at 2:30 PM with the headline "Police seek help in storage unit theft of paintings."