CLARKSVILLE, Tenn (WKRN) — Reports of thefts and break-ins are popping up at Harley-Davidson dealerships across the country. On Saturday, police say thieves stole three motorcycles from a Clarksville location.
Store manager Jason Altenburg gave News 2 surveillance video of the incident. It shows someone throw a brick through the window. Then, five people enter and three of them get away on bikes. One of the thieves jammed a Harley in the front entrance.
“They had targeted five bikes. They got away with three and the fourth bike blocked the entryway so the fifth bike couldn’t be stolen as well,” Altenburg said. “We could see briefly that they had popped our front door with the latches and then we were able to see them leaving with the motorcycles. As I mentioned the one that had fallen in the doorway, we were then able to see them escape on foot!”
Our Indianapolis station shared a video with News 2 of a similar incident that happened back in March. Four suspects bust into a Kokomo, IN showroom around 3:20 in the morning wearing motorcycle helmets. They hop onto four bikes and ride out the front doors onto the highway.
Similar reports have also come out of Iowa and Illinois. Police have not confirmed if they are all related.
“To know that you had some people come into our space where we’re so welcoming to so many people, to know that it happened here, it is a little unnerving to think about,” Altenburg said.
Altenburg says the crooks got away with about $80,000 worth of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In Indiana, an estimated $90,000 in retail value.
“We’ve changed our security protocol since then. We’ve taken measures to make sure the motorcycles are locked on the showroom floor. Keys are put up in the safe. We’ve done, I think, a better job of making sure the doorways are locked that would make it more difficult for this to happen again,” Altenburg said.
On Tuesday, police arrested six men in Evansville, Indiana who allegedly broke into a local Harley-Davidson there on Monday. The men didn’t get away with any bikes, but police found a Bluetooth headset in their getaway car that apparently came from the store.
Clarksville Police tell News 2 they’ve been in touch with Evansville Police, but they haven’t confirmed if they’re the same men that broke into the Clarksville store on Saturday.
If you know anything about what happened, you can call the Clarksville Police Department at (931) 648-0656.
