Five people have been arrested, accused of taking storm-damaged vehicles and items from homes damaged in the deadly tornadoes that blew through Kentucky.
The Graves County Sheriff’s Office said that several people had been seen in Mayfield, Kentucky, rummaging through personal property and loading vehicles that had been damaged by the storms.
Law enforcement said they stopped the group as they tried to leave the area.
Sheriff’s deputies and state troopers said they found personal items that belonged to the tornado victims including household goods, new shoes, change covered in mud and copper wiring.
Law enforcement officials said the vehicles that the group was towing belonged to people who had been displaced by the storms and were in the hospital or were killed.
Some of the accused said the homeowners had given permission to collect the items, but the claims were disproven when deputies asked the property owners, officials said.
The following people were charged by the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
Kevin Stowe, 55, from Union County, Tennessee, has been charged with theft of an automobile and theft of a motor vehicle registration plate. Deputies said the car he was driving had stolen plates attached to it. He also had more than $120,000 in cash, deputies said.
Ronnie White, 57, from Hickman, Kentucky, is charged with theft by unlawful taking (automobile), as is Lynne Bailey, 56, also of Hickman.
Linda Morris, 52, of Dresden, Tennessee, also is charged with theft by unlawful taking (automobile) as well as possession of methamphetamine, operating on a suspended license and theft by unlawful taking (personal property). Deputies said they found syringes that contained methamphetamine in her purse and in the car she was driving. They said they also found copper wiring and new Ugg boots that deputies said were taken from a storm victim’s home.
Kaitlyn Moore, 29, was also charged with theft by unlawful taking (automobile), possession of methamphetamine, as well as tampering with physical evidence.
Graves County Sheriff Jon Hayden said that looting will not be tolerated, WPSD reported.
He said that the best thing to do to prevent theft is to ask.
“If you feel comfortable, there’s nothing wrong with you making a simple inquiry to that person. You know — ‘Who are you? Why are you taking my neighbor’s car? Why are you picking up things out of their house?’ If that person is legitimate, they should’ve no problem making this simple inquiry,” Hayden told WPSD.
He also said people can call the sheriff’s office to report suspicious activity.
On Friday, the Kentucky Attorney General, Daniel Cameron, said that four men from Michigan had been arrested on theft charges in Princeton, Kentucky, WPSD reported.