ATV driver sought in damage to field

By GAZETTE STAFF   Wednesday, July 9, 2008
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— The Milton Police Department still is seeking the person who took a John Deere ATV for a joyride, causing thousands of dollars in damage to a cornfield.

Someone stole the ATV from the city’s Fourth of July festival at 11:45 p.m. Thursday at Schilberg Park, according to a news release from the police department. The vehicle belongs to Captains Corner, the festival’s caterer, said Sgt. John Conger with the Milton Police Department.

Police later found the abandoned ATV with minimal damage, but only after the thieves took it through a cornfield.

The department arrested a passenger, Robert McNutt, 23, of 3431 N. Tarrant Road, Milton, but it has been unable to identify the driver. McNutt was arrested on charges of being a passenger in a stolen vehicle and criminal damage, party to a crime.

The police have an idea of who drove the ATV, but so far no one has been willing to name the person, Conger said.

Milton police are working with CrimeStoppers to offer a cash reward if someone comes forward with information that leads to an arrest, he said.







reader COMMENTS (27)
tjncj
Jul 10, 2008 at 10:23 a.m.
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Mcnutt knows who did it, the police know who it is and most importantly the offender knows he did it. Take responsibility for your actions. Be a man and take your punishment.

thekid3477
Jul 10, 2008 at 9:46 a.m.
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23 yrs old. 4th of july. 11:45 at nite. gee, i wonder if the 'eviler of two evils' was involved??

ask11
Jul 10, 2008 at 9:18 a.m.
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From what I have heard, the Milton PD has had several people contact them with the name of the driver, all of whom are giving the same name. At this time they do not have enough "evidence" to arrest the "suspected driver". Sounds like Mr. McNutty will either have to take the heat for it all, or give the MPD the name of the driver.

KLB40
Jul 9, 2008 at 11:16 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
MrScott
Jul 9, 2008 at 11:03 p.m.
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I also understand (from a city of Milton worker) that the ATV sustained nearly $1000 in damage, hardly minimal and was owned by the caterer at Schilberg Park

MrScott
Jul 9, 2008 at 11:01 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
miltonalum
Jul 9, 2008 at 9:50 p.m.
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hey guys.....maybe the passenger was the driver and hopped in the other seat......lol

MooShoo
Jul 9, 2008 at 9:37 p.m.
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Curlrock is in the inner cicle and speaks the truth. Yes, the corn terrorist was abducted by aliens. They hold him now in suspended animation, frozen in enthanol. He is the mysterious unnamed City Manager candidate who involuntarily left the field of candidates while making circles in the field of dreams. The only way we get him back is to place 25 new manhole covers, and 25,000 soiled sandbags and 10 dead carp on the azmuth of the proposed tunnel under Milwaukee Avenue. On the winter solstice, he will be deposited intact, in front of the City Council.

Curlrock
Jul 9, 2008 at 9:19 p.m.
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Maybe the driver was doing doughnuts and aliens mistook them from crop circles and came down and abducted him.

momof5
Jul 9, 2008 at 7:35 p.m.
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If the police have an idea who the driver is, why aren't they putting the heat on that person?
.
I say call in Horatio Caine. He'll get the confession out of 'em.

twerp13
Jul 9, 2008 at 7:35 p.m.
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Love that plan mooshoo. Keep up the good work

chainsawchuckie
Jul 9, 2008 at 7:24 p.m.
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LMAO @ mooshoo

Kilgor720
Jul 9, 2008 at 7:01 p.m.
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So the "ATV was found abandoned" in a field of damaged corn. So how do they know he was a passenger if it was "abandoned?" Witnesses maybe?

MooShoo
Jul 9, 2008 at 6:16 p.m.
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Oliver speaks to me often...most often "in tongues". I heard him say there is much more behind this story. This is the first wave of suicide ATV drivers who are hell bent on destroying the corn crop. If they are successful, the ethanol plant closes. They are also placing underwear on fiberglass cows in order to create panic in the local agricultural community. Our farmers will be so scared that they won't attend the 4H Fair. In order to avoid bankruptcy, the 4H Fair will have to accept the cell tower. This will become the tool to fry the brains of the Janesville residents. Super duper radio waves will emminate from Mars. Those who can will protect themselves with aluminum foil. Those who don't will decide call for a referendum to make A.B., leader of the Briarmoonies, the next City Manager. You all know what will happen if that happens! But its not too late! Take action now! Send McNutt to Gitmo and have the feds waterboard a confession out of him. But it really won't do much good to send him to Gitmo, because when the aliens left Rozwell NM, the took over Gitmo.

nowind
Jul 9, 2008 at 5:38 p.m.
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Any way you look at it, he had the option of not being in the ATV and he chose to stay in, he had the option of trying to stop the theft and destruction but chose to just ride along.
Either way he is partially responsible for the damage to the corn and should be responsible for his action. Start forking our cash for that cash crop.

JCK
Jul 9, 2008 at 4:04 p.m.
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Of course to convict him as the driver they would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was driving. Evidently they can prove that he was on the ATV when it was stolen and when it damaged the field but can't prove he was the driver. It would senseless to charge him as the driver if they can't prove that fact.

EMMO46
Jul 9, 2008 at 3:56 p.m.
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Sounds like a conspiracy. Oliver Stone...would you like to comment?

thinkbeforeyouspeak
Jul 9, 2008 at 3:29 p.m.
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Police can "lie" in interrogations to illicit statements and a confession. However, what is suggested here is to charge him with something they have no proof of. That's quite different. We're talking apples and oranges. Also, I'm not saying the police witnessed him as a passenger, but don't you think it's quite possible that somebody around the beer tent did? That's the witness statement I'm referring to. It doesn't appear the cops saw anything themselves.

TheCourtJester
Jul 9, 2008 at 3:11 p.m.
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The Police have no obligation to tell the truth or be on the up and up when it comes to an investigation. The police can and sometimes will "bend the truth" to check the validity of a story, or to "coerce" a confession. To believe that the police are the highest examples of morality/virtuosity/honesty/integrity is to be naive. When the police say you have the right to remain silent, it's a right that many should exercise but don't. What you don't say cannot hurt you, what you do may...

tjncj
Jul 9, 2008 at 3:04 p.m.
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"Police later found the abandoned ATV with minimal damage, but only after the thieves took it through a cornfield." Abandoned. They didn't see him riding as a passenger. It looks like they have his word and nothing else. So my guess if it was two people they took turns driving. I'l stick with my first statement, charge him with it all. As if the police don't use the tactic all the time.

thinkbeforeyouspeak
Jul 9, 2008 at 2:42 p.m.
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I'll go out on a limb here and say they have evidence proving he's the passenger, not the driver. Pure speculation, of course. Witness statements? Fingerprints? Shoe Prints?

Curlrock
Jul 9, 2008 at 2:35 p.m.
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thinkbeforeyouspeak- He may not be giving up the name of the driver because he was the driver. Why should the police believe that he was the passenger? Because he said so? Perhaps if the police tell him they don't believe he was the passenger and charge him as the driver, he'll give up a name. Seems pretty easy to me.

thinkbeforeyouspeak
Jul 9, 2008 at 2:21 p.m.
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So, let me get this straight.....You are arguing for the police to be less than honest in their charging of the individual? I suspect you would be one of the first lined up to scream "corruption" on the part of the police if they were to actually do that, and it came to light. We expect our cops to be honest and forthright, let's not suggest they act in any other way. It's their job to figure out who drove the thing, and do that on the up and up.

tjncj
Jul 9, 2008 at 2:08 p.m.
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Charge him as if he was driving. Who says he wasn't? If there is someone else, he will squeal.

garyprimer
Jul 9, 2008 at 1:51 p.m.
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You obviously have no choice but to torture the passenger until he gives up the name of the driver.

sysco_kid
Jul 9, 2008 at 1:35 p.m.
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in a couple of weeks this thousands of dollars worth of corn might be worth millions

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