Man charged in 11 rental car thefts at Louisville airport including 1 used in homicide
LOUISVILLE, Ky. August 1 2021 An employee of Enterprise Rent-a-Car has been arrested after police say he arranged the theft of 11 vehicles — one of which was later used in a homicide.
According to court documents, it happened sometime between Feb. 17 and Feb. 27 on the Enterprise lot at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Airport police say they received a tip on Feb. 21 that an employee named “Stephen” was being paid to leave keys in rental cars so that others could come and steal them.
Police then alerted all rental car managers, and days later, Enterprise Rent-a-Car reported that two cars were missing, then later reported nine more missing cars.
According to court documents, an investigation revealed that 22-year-old Stephen Jackson was using his employee ID card to move cars from the car wash area to the rental ready lot. He would then park the unlocked vehicles, leaving the keys inside.
Afterward, unidentified accomplices would arrive on the scene and drive away in the vehicles without signing for them or paying for them.
Police say the stolen vehicles were worth a total of $395,861. According to court documents, one of those vehicles was later used in a homicide, and another was used in a burglary.
An e-warrant was issued for Jackson’s arrest, and he was taken into custody on Thursday night by the Louisville Metro Police Department. He is charged with 11 counts of theft by unlawful taking of an automobile, and one count of trafficking in a stolen vehicle or stolen vehicle parts.
WDRB
