Hard Working Trucks found three truck-related stories of note today that are worthy of the title, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
First up is a truck donation story. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department in Crown Point, Ind. received a pickup from energy company Enbridge.
The 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4×4 will be used in the sheriff’s marine unit to haul boats and other equipment, according to nwitimes.com. The sheriff’s department is grateful for the donation which it says enhances public safety, builds up a community partnership and helps with budgeting.
Next up is a Hollywood-like truck robbery story that went unsolved for a year, until a girlfriend of one of the thieves came forward.
In March of 2015, three armed men used GPS tracking and remote controlled tear gas canisters to stop and plunder a TransValue tractor-trailer hauling $4.8 million in gold bars and silver through Wilson County, North Carolina on Interstate 95.
According to abcnews.com, the thieves planted a GPS tracking device and remote controlled tear gas canisters on the truck before it left Miami with 275 pounds of gold and silver. Once the truck reached a dark stretch of I-95 in Wilson County, the tear gas canisters were remotely activated.
The pepper spray came through a hole in the cab’s floor caused the two men in the truck to cough, throw-up and pull over. As the two ill men emerged from the gas-filled cab they were met by three Spanish-speaking armed robbers who bound them, threatened them and their families and left them in the woods along the highway.
The thieves set up orange cones around the truck to make it appear as if it had broken down, moved the gold and silver to a van and fled the scene.
For a year, the crime remained unsolved, until a girlfriend of one of the robbers approached the FBI and agreed to become an informant.
On Monday, 46-year-old Florida resident Adalberto Perez was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in the heist. His girlfriend provided information which indicated that he played a lesser role.
Most of the blame fell on Perez’ accomplice, Roberto Cabrera, who was sentenced to 20 years for the robbery. The third man has yet to be identified and arrested. Almost all of the loot, which was insured, is gone.
Our HWT ugly story of the week goes to a group of four men who attempted to rob a Cash America Pawn store early Tuesday morning in Charlotte, N.C. by backing up a Chevy pickup through its front window.
However, there was no clean getaway for this crew because their truck got stuck, according to wsoctv.com. Witnesses say one of the men attempted to rock the truck free, but to no avail. The four suspects fled the scene and left the truck behind.
Police said they’ll check to see if the truck was stolen and take a closer look at the store’s surveillance video in hopes of identifying the men.
UPDATE @wsoctv tow truck removes truck that would be burglars crashed into an Albemarle business. Details at 4:30. pic.twitter.com/AuMN0J1ruH
— Blaine Tolison (@BTolisonWSOC9) September 13, 2016
