On June 21, 2022, an employee of a local business reported that a work van was stolen from a job site that day. The business was able to track the vehicle with GPS and reported that it was at Walmart South in Missoula County. Missoula Police Department officers responded to Walmart and located the van.

An employee was at the van when officers arrived. The employee reported that some items were missing from the van, including a backpack and $100 from his wallet that was in the van. Contents of his wallet were also spread around the van. Police Public Information Officer Lydia Arnold picks up the story.

“Officers took a report of a stolen work van,” Arnold said. “The driver of the van had contacted their employer. The office staff was able to track the location of the work van. The work van was located at Walmart on 93 South. Officers responded to the area. Through the preliminary investigation and reviewing video surveillance, they were able to identify the suspect, Kyle Puckett. Puckett was taken into custody for felony theft of a motor vehicle.”

An officer observed surveillance footage at Walmart that showed the van pull up and a white adult male with no shirt and tattoos on his chest and arms, tan pants, tan boots, a black baseball cap, and a goatee exit the vehicle. He was not located at that time.

Walmart later reported that the male returned. Police arrived and located the male that matched the description. He was identified as Kyle Puckett. Puckett denied stealing the van. However, he was in possession of a backpack that matched the description of the stolen backpack.

Puckett is currently being charged with felony theft.

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable. 

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