Thieves Have Targeted Former Site of Garner Industries Northeast of Lincoln

LINCOLN–(KFOR Oct. 28)–Six months after an EF3 tornado leveled the Garner Industries building off of 98th and Highway 6, thieves have been getting onto the vacated property and have stolen items such as copper, steel, wiring and shelving.

“Garner Industries does not want people on their property, and especially do not want them stealing from there,” Lancaster County Chief Deputy Sheriff Ben Houchin said on Monday morning.

The building is surrounded by fence with no trespassing signs and deputies are patrolling often in the area.

“One of the issues is somebody tore down part of the fence and has stolen it,” Houchin added.

In recent weeks, there have been at least seven people arrested and Lancaster County deputies are actively patrolling around that area. Houchin says those arrests have been for trespassing, theft, possession of burglar tools, even active warrants or drug possession.

“We contacted one individual that had $1,000 worth of scrap iron in the back of his pickup, so it is a considerable amount of money that they are making from doing this,” Houchin said.

Garner has since relocated its operations and offices to a couple of separate locations in north Lincoln, after the April 26 tornado.