BURLINGTON, N.C. – An excavator was stolen according to the Burlington police department during the early hours of Monday May 13th.
The excavator was a Kobelco Mini brand is valued between 40,000 to 100,000 USD depending on the features and quality of the excavator. It is believed the victims left the vehicle unlocked and it may have had the keys included inside of it. Some insurance agencies they will deny clients a claim if they determine the keys were inside the vehicle. Insurance companies can claim the owner did not take sufficient steps to keep their property safe from theft
Due to the size and mobility of Kobelco excavators there is a high demand for these worldwide. Also people located in the US, Canada, and Mexico attempt to purchase these from black market dealers. These Mini Excavators are normally taken apart via “chop shops”. Afterwards shipped throughout the world to other countries, and reassembled to hide all traces of theft.
Local Police Seeking Tips
“The Burlington Police Department has seen a rise in these types of incidents over the past few months. The victims in these cases left their vehicles unlocked with keys inside the vehicle,” police said. “Citizens should be mindful that to prevent the theft of their vehicles that they must ‘Lock It or Lose It.’”
Police have stated that anyone with any information on this crime should contact them immediately at (336) 229-3500. Time is important with high end thefts of construction vehicles before they leave the country. (image shown is an example of a Kobelco Excavator from Kobelco-usa.com)
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