POUGHKEEPSIE – A car that was reported stolen from the parking lot of the Dutchess County Stabilization Center on Monday morning was recovered a short time later by City and Town of Poughkeepsie police.
Town police responded to the 230 North Road address to take the complaint for the stolen Nissan SUV. A description of the vehicle and the thief was broadcast over the police radio. A short time later, officers spotted the vehicle near Main Street and Hoffman Avenue. The vehicle was abandoned in front of 8 Hoffman Avenue. Police detained two men at the scene who were passengers in the vehicle.
The suspected car thief, Franz Bakter, was taken into custody at the McDonald’s on Main Street by another town officer. Bakter has been arrested multiple times in the past two weeks for stealing vehicles. Bakter is said to prey on vehicles that have been left running while unattended.
Both the Town of Poughkeepsie and City of Police Departments are reminding vehicle owners to remove the keys from their vehicles and lock the doors if the vehicle is going to be left unattended.
Additional information regarding this incident was not immediately available.
