Vehicle stolen from Taylorsville station after stop for gas

Timothy E. Wilder Jr. Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.

An Elwood, Indiana man stopped for gas in Taylorsville Wednesday morning, only to have his vehicle stolen when he went inside to pay.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department says they received a report of a vehicle theft in the 10000 block of North U.S. 31 at about 9:02 a.m. yesterday morning. The 64-year-old victim left his keys in the ignition of his pickup and saw it drive away, including an attached flatbed trailer, when he went inside to pay.

A 60-year-old Taylorsville man saw the theft and followed the stolen vehicle into a nearby restaurant where he blocked the vehicle in until authorities arrived.

31-year-old Timothy E. Wilder Jr. of Edinburgh was arrested on a charge of auto theft.

Sheriff Matt Myers cautions that if you see a crime in progress, make sure to keep yourself safe, gather information and report it to law enforcement.