Drunk Thieves Steal U-Hauls for Joyrides
By Associated Press
Wed Aug 9, 1:24 PM
LITTLEROCK, Calif. - Thieves apparently under the influence of alcohol stole six U-Haul moving trucks and went on some destructive Mojave Desert joyrides, authorities said.
Four of the dented rental trucks were found abandoned later but the California Highway Patrol was still looking for two of the missing U-Hauls. There were no arrests.
"This is a first," U-Haul rental office owner Monica Hall said.
The thieves apparently got the vehicle keys out of large drop box used for after-hours key returns. The box was ripped off a concrete pillar in front of the office between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Monday, Hall said.
Judging from the smell of the recovered trucks, the thieves were likely boozed up, CHP investigators said.
The heists were discovered just before dawn when the CHP got a report of a hit-and-run accident near 90th Street East and Palmdale Boulevard.
"The victim described the offending car as a white and orange U-Haul truck," CHP Officer Gabriel Morado said.
Officers then spotted a suspicious U-Haul parked diagonally in the middle of a grocery store parking lot near the U-Haul office and damage matched the side swipe from the hit-and-run incident.
Two more banged up U-Hauls were then found abandoned in a nearby alley.
"It looked like they had just dumped them there and crashed into each other while doing it," Morado said.
A fourth U-Haul was recovered in Palmdale.
By Associated Press
Wed Aug 9, 1:24 PM
LITTLEROCK, Calif. - Thieves apparently under the influence of alcohol stole six U-Haul moving trucks and went on some destructive Mojave Desert joyrides, authorities said.
Four of the dented rental trucks were found abandoned later but the California Highway Patrol was still looking for two of the missing U-Hauls. There were no arrests.
"This is a first," U-Haul rental office owner Monica Hall said.
The thieves apparently got the vehicle keys out of large drop box used for after-hours key returns. The box was ripped off a concrete pillar in front of the office between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Monday, Hall said.
Judging from the smell of the recovered trucks, the thieves were likely boozed up, CHP investigators said.
The heists were discovered just before dawn when the CHP got a report of a hit-and-run accident near 90th Street East and Palmdale Boulevard.
"The victim described the offending car as a white and orange U-Haul truck," CHP Officer Gabriel Morado said.
Officers then spotted a suspicious U-Haul parked diagonally in the middle of a grocery store parking lot near the U-Haul office and damage matched the side swipe from the hit-and-run incident.
Two more banged up U-Hauls were then found abandoned in a nearby alley.
"It looked like they had just dumped them there and crashed into each other while doing it," Morado said.
A fourth U-Haul was recovered in Palmdale.
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