TERRELL, Texas — Kaufman County Sheriff's Office deputies on patrol on Saturday observed and recovered a stolen 18-wheeler and its cargo — nearly $1 million in Dell laptops, the sheriff's office announced today.
TERRELL, Texas — Kaufman County Sheriff's Office deputies on patrol on Saturday observed and recovered a stolen 18-wheeler and its cargo — nearly $1 million in Dell laptops, the sheriff's office announced today.
The recovery occurred on Saturday, April 24, 2021, while Kaufman County Sheriff's Office deputies were on patrol in the area of County Road 215 and Hiram Road.
The deputies observed the 18-wheeler stuck, unable to move, and was unable to locate the driver. Additionally, the driver's window was down, the passenger door was ajar, and there was a smell of burning rubber and the hood of the tractor was warm to the touch.
Deputies, after clearing the cab of any passengers, observed the trailer's seal had been tampered with and broken. The deputies made entry into the trailer and observed a pallet which appeared to have been tampered with — the plastic wrap and cardboard covering had been removed. Two laptops appeared to be missing from the pallet full of Dell laptops, according to the sheriff's office.
Contact was made with the owner of the tractor and distributor and deputies learned the tractor-trailer had been stolen from a Terrell-area truck stop while the driver was taking a shower and the Terrell Police Department was currently in progress of taking an incident report.
According to the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office, 50 pallets, approximately 30,000 pounds, of Dell laptops were recovered. The laptop cargo was estimated at $957,600, stated the sheriff's office. Additionally, the truck-tractor trailer were estimated at $65,000, resulting in a net recovery of $1,022,600.