Thieves on the run with stolen $35k excavator in Pierce County, WA

Thieves steal excavator and trailer hitch from Puyallup, WA

Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputies are looking for thieves who stole $50,000 worth of construction equipment from a Puyallup business.

PUYALLUP, WA - Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputies are looking for thieves who stole $50,000 worth of construction equipment from a Puyallup business.

Surveillance video captured the thieves pulling their truck into a business, cutting into a closed-off gate, then driving off with the excavator on a stolen trailer.

"How quickly they committed the crime does show that they likely had cased it out and knew that the excavator was sitting back in the corner lot," said Deputy Carly Cappetto.

The backstory:

The crime happened Friday morning, Nov. 7 at around 4:30 a.m. at a business in Puyallup along the 11100 block of 66th Avenue East.

"This hits hard for small business owners that are trying to run companies," said Cappetto.

Cappetto told FOX 13 Seattle that what is most concerning about this incident is that two thieves now have access to a massive excavator.

"In the past, we’ve had stolen excavators used for other crimes, such as ATM thefts or other major types of crimes," she said.

While the crime was captured on surveillance footage, it does not show any clear images of the suspects.

Investigators said they do not have many leads and are asking for help in solving the case.

"We’d like to get some tips from the community and get these suspects into custody, so we don’t have any other major crimes happen," said Cappetto.

What you can do:

If you know who this is, you could get cash in your pocket.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides a tip that leads to an arrest and charges. You can leave a tip anonymously by using the P3Tips app or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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