(KAIR)--Five of the six vehicles stolen in Atchison since the start of the year have been recovered, including a 1995 Ford pickup truck stolen Sunday night from the 900 block of North 11th Street. “The first one was taken in early January, and we did recover that vehicle on the [Kansas] Turnpike,” Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson told MSC News. “We’ve had vehicles taken in the 900 block of Kansas Avenue, the 500 block of Riley, 1000 block of North 4th, 600 block of North 2nd, the 900 block of North 11th, and the significance of that is that all of these vehicle are located from the downtown area, or central part of the city, north.”

The pickup truck was located several blocks from where it was taken.

Wilson said a common factor in the crimes is the fact that keys had been left somewhere inside the vehicle, and were likely discovered as thieves looked through the vehicles for something to steal. “All these vehicles that were taken, including the latest one that was taken on Sunday evening, had keys in the vehicle.”

Along with the Sunday night pickup truck, a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, stolen during the early-morning hours of March 31, also remains missing. Believed to be in Leavenworth, Wilson told MSC News its believed the car was involved in a criminal case in that city, and Atchison Police are working with Leavenworth Police on that investigation.

Atchison Police on Friday recovered a Chevrolet Malibu near 17th and Main Streets that was reported April 23 as stolen from Topeka, On Saturday, police recovered a Ford pickup stolen April 18 from the 600 bock of North 2nd Street. It was found just west of Atchison.

Wilson said the investigation into the vehicle thefts is continuing.