GOP Chairman Catches Sign Thief

By Tom Murray

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BURLINGTON – There’s no doubt about who Josh Kuehn is supporting. A variety of signs endorsing the Republican ticket blanket his lawn. “The yard started with a couple of McCain-Palin signs,” Kuehn told TODAY’S TMJ4 reporter Tom Murray. When a few of his signs vanished, Kuehn added more. “I thought I would put more signs out just to prove my point,” he explained. Kuehn, the co-chair of the Racine County Republican party, wanted to catch someone in the act. “These are infrared cameras,” said Kuehn, demonstrating makeshift surveillance cameras he installed on the exterior of his home. “They see in the dark.” Saturday night, he heard a suspicious rustle in the leaves. Kuehn shouted at a young man taking one of his signs. “I followed him down and when I got down around the corner I noticed a white Jeep,” Kuehn recounted. Kuehn rushed to his Explorer, called police and chased after the thief and an accomplice. He followed the two suspects until police caught up. Kuehn took cell phone photos of an officer arresting the teenage prankster. He said the teen had an Obama bumper sticker on the back of his Jeep. Kuehn’s Obama-backing neighbor has different political views, but has had the same problem. “I had small signs,” said Raul Rangel. “All of them have been stolen." Rangel claims someone has stolen four signs from his front yard on four separate occasions. “It’s not frustrating to me,” said Rangel. “It’s not frustrating because I can always get another one." As for Kuehn, he said he contacted TODAY’S TMJ4 with his story because he hopes his account will send a bi-partisan message. “I wanted people to know if you go out and steal campaign signs, for whatever purpose it may be, you’re going to be turned in,” he said. Burlington police released the teenage suspect to his parents. He may face a civil charge or ticket after the case is reviewed.