Truck with $400K worth of aluminum found near theft site in Indiana

The theft of a tractor-trailer loaded with more than $420,000 worth of aluminum concrete-pouring forms this week in Burrell Township is under investigation by state police in Indiana.

The 2003 Kenworth tractor-trailer and most of the cargo were recovered early Thursday morning just a half-mile from where it was stolen, according a spokeswoman for the owner, Keystone County Concrete Inc. in Brookville.

“We got a call from the (Jonnet) Auto Flea Market this morning, who asked us to move our truck and trailer that was parked behind their building. It surprised us,” said the spokeswoman, who declined to be identified.

“A lot of the aluminum concrete forms were still loaded, but a few were missing. We think they were stolen to be sold as scrap metal,” she said.

In a report, Trooper J.L. Dumm said the tractor and trailer were stolen from the Tri-Star parking lot along Route 22 in Burrell Township.

Dumm said the thieves attempted to steal another truck from the same parking lot, a 1994 Mack truck that was loaded with aluminum forms.

The incidents occurred between Monday night and early Tuesday, police reported.

The Keystone spokeswoman said the aluminum forms each measure about 8-by-3 feet and are used by construction firms when they pour foundations.

Dumm could not be reached yesterday to detail how much of the cargo the thieves managed to take.