A Waubay Fire Volunteer Department fire truck was reported stolen and later recovered, but with significant damage, earlier this week. This incident led to the arrest and charging of Jeremiah Nathaniel Shepherd, 19, of Browns Valley, Minnesota.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on or about July 21, 2025, in Day County, South Dakota. The Waubay Fire Department reported the theft of the truck on July 20, 2025, at approximately 9:13 a.m., stating it had been taken from Main Street and 3rd Avenue between 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on the same day. The truck has been sitting there because of a fundraiser steak dinner for the fire department the night before.
Day County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the report. Deputy Kolby Weinberg obtained security footage from Jorgenson Meat Processing and Waubay City Hall, which showed the stolen fire truck being driven with its red and blue lights activated. The footage also showed the vehicle parking in a grass lot at 122 Railway Avenue in Waubay, with the driver exiting and entering a nearby house.
Deputies spoke with two individuals who identified the driver as “Jerry” or Jeremiah and later provided the last name Shepherd. Further investigation revealed that Jeremiah Shepherd had been cited by a Roberts County Deputy for underage consumption of alcohol around 6:00 AM on July 20, 2025, approximately two miles from where the stolen fire truck was later found crashed in a ditch.
Deputy Garret Thompson interviewed Shepherd on July 21, 2025. During the interview, Shepherd reportedly stated, “I don’t know why I got in that firetruck,” and claimed he was “too drunk to remember” the incident.
The fire truck was recovered with “substantial body damage, including wiring ripped out, and the top light bar being damaged”.
Jeremiah Nathaniel Shepherd was formally charged on July 22, 2025, with Grand Theft and Intentional Damage to Property. Both charges are Class 4 Felonies, with the value of the property and damage ranging between $5,000 and $100,000.
On July 22, 2025, Judge Marshall C. Lovrien set Shepherd’s bond at $2,500 cash only. Conditions of the bond include no violations of law, random urine analysis/preliminary breath tests, waiver of extradition, and attending all court dates while maintaining contact with his attorney. Christopher Dohrer has been appointed as Shepherd’s attorney.
