SoCal Thieves Steal Six Big Rigs; Strip Steel Rolls

Thieves stole six tractor trailers in Long Beach, Calif., that were carrying 40,000-pound steel coils valued at $150,000, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported Tuesday.

All six trucks later turned up in various localities in southern California locations, minus the steel rolls, the paper said.
 
The trucks were stolen from a Budway yard in Long Beach over the weekend, according to an official with the California Highway Patrol’s Cargo Theft Interdiction Program, the paper said.

Budway vice president Daniel Heykoop said the steel could be used for car parts, building materials and fences. Each roll was worth $25,000 which, while on the secondary market, it would be about $10,000, the paper reported.

If the steel was taken to a scrap yard, Heykoop estimated the value would be $8,000 a roll, the Press-Telegram said.