Man arrested after stealing plane from airport and flying to California, police say

LAS VEGAS (KVVU [1]/Gray News) - Authorities in Southern Nevada say a plane was stolen last weekend after a series of burglaries at the North Las Vegas Airport.

Police said a 2020 Kitfox fixed-wing single-engine aircraft was taken by 40-year-old Damian Zukaitis sometime after 2 p.m. on Saturday.

According to authorities, Zukaitis ended up flying the plane to the California desert and landing near the Barstow-Daggett Airport.

The plane's owner said he found a marijuana joint on the floor and numerous beer cans and bottles in the cockpit after locating the aircraft with authorities. There was also damage to the propeller and engine.

A man is accused of stealing a plane in North Las Vegas and flying it to Southern California.(KVVU)

The owner said the Air Force alerted him about the theft after an emergency locator transmitter alerted authorities about a possible accident involving the plane.

The San Bernardino Sheriff's Office arrested Zukaitis. He is facing charges that include possession of a stolen airplane and transporting stolen property across state lines.

Additional charges are pending in Nevada.

Authorities said the incident remains under investigation and the motive of why Zukaitis stole the plane is not yet known.

Zukaitis is also responsible for three burglaries at the airport before stealing the plane, police said.

He is expected to be extradited to Nevada to face a judge in North Las Vegas.

On Thursday, the FBI said it will be leading the ongoing investigation [2].

References

^ KVVU (www.fox5vegas.com)
^ leading the ongoing investigation (www.fox5vegas.com)