PAWNEE CITY – An arrest warrant has been issued for a man suspected of stealing a grass rig fire truck from Burchard in June.


Shelby Watkins, 26, of Omaha was previously charged with stealing a Chevrolet Equinox in Falls City on June 23 and more information about the case was revealed when Stacy Mackenzie, 55, of Lincoln told the court her involvement was coerced.

The Lincoln woman told the court she met a man she knew as "Chevy Quickstr" on Facebook Messenger and agreed to pick him up, thinking he needed a ride from Geneva to Omaha.

She said once she picked him up, he put the key fob to her car on a lanyard around his neck and took control of the vehicle. She learned he did not need a ride to Omaha, but had other intentions for her and her car.

She described being terrified by violence and threats. She said Quckstr accused her of turning him in.  She said she was forced to assist with a shoplifting scheme at Walmart. A tool was used to remove the retailer’s tracking device and items were placed in a trash can. The trash can was then purchased at check out.

 

Mackenzie said her car ran out of gas and says Watkins stole a fire truck and damaged another.

 

 

She said he drove recklessly with lights and sirens until he claimed to hear distant sirens and became worried that they were being pursued by law enforcement. She said he parked the fire truck and got another vehicle started.

At that point, Mackenzie said she was able to get away and flag down a motorist for a ride. Mackenzie is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 5 related to the Equinox theft. The keys to the Falls City car were found in her Mazda, which was found in Burchard.

Watkins is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing in Richardson County on Jan. 16.