Feds Take Over Case of Stolen Small Plane Flown From to California With Beer Cans, Marijuana Left in Cockpit
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has taken over the case of a man who allegedly stole a small plane from a Las Vegas airport and flew it to a California desert.
North Las Vegas Police confirmed Thursday to KVVU that the FBI will lead the investigation of Damian Zukaitis, a 40-year-old man accused of burglarizing and stealing a 2020 Kitfox fixed-wing single-engine type aircraft Saturday around 2 p.m.
The owner of the $80,000 plane was contacted by the U.S. Air Force, who asked them if the plane had crashed or made a hard landing some 100 miles away near the Barstow-Daggett Airport in California.
The owner made it to Barstow and found beer bottles and cans in the cockpit, along with traces of marijuana. They also found a binder with instructions for landing at an airport in Corona, California.
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office arrested Zukaitis, who faces charges of possession of a stolen airplane and transporting stolen property across state lines.
Authorities suspect Zukaitis might be responsible for three other airplane burglaries on Dec. 27, 28 and 29, saying that one had been burglarized twice.
The FBI is overseeing the extradition of Zukaitis back to Nevada and determining any possible federal charges.
