Man Drives Off on $8,000 Lawn Mower Stolen From Syracuse Church

Who steals from a church? Someone stole an eight-thousand-dollar lawnmower from a church in Syracuse and was last seen driving off on it down the road.

Syracuse Police say the red Ferris riding lawn mower was stolen from First English Lutheran Church located at 501 James Street on May 24. The mower was left unattended for only minutes when a man hopped on it drove off. He's described as a thin, white male with short hair or bald. He was wearing a blue-colored shirt, dark-colored jeans, and had a blue-colored backpack.

The mower and they were last viewed at Salina Street and North Isabella Street on May 24 at around 12:10 PM. It's a Ferris ISX 800, 61-inch mowing deck with a serial number of 40017464946494.

The mower was only a few weeks old and was used to maintain the grounds of the church.

If anyone has seen the mower or recognizes the man seen driving off on it, they are asked to call Syracuse Police at (315) 442-5200.

Stolen Ambulance

From stolen lawnmowers from a church to a stolen ambulance. Vanessa Armstead was recently arrested for stealing one from Kunkel Ambulance in Utica and leading police on a high-speed chase from Utica to Rochester. She ended up driving into Irondequoit Bay.

Armstead swam to a boat on the nearby bay and was taken into custody by police. She faces several charges including grand larceny.