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Highlands Today

Work ATV theft highlights bold ag thieves

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: July 5, 2009

AVON PARK - When hauling their large ATV-type vehicles used in grove work, Edward Parker and his employees purposely leave the loading ramps at the work sites to thwart would-be thieves.

But that didn't deter someone who snatched a new Polaris Ranger side by side Thursday night while one of Parker's employees dined at a restaurant north of Avon Park.

Parker said someone cut the straps that hold the vehicle to the trailer with a knife, cranked it up, put it in reverse and "yee hawed" it right off the back of the trailer.

Parker's employee called 911 and then notified Parker, who took off in another side by side ATV to try and locate the stolen vehicle.

"Because of the rain, I was able to follow their tracks for eight miles," Parker said. "I lost their trail on the truck route County Road 17A in Avon Park around 2 a.m. Friday."

Highlands County Sheriff's Sgt. Barry Jones said the stolen vehicle was found Friday morning near County Road 17A.

It was recovered about a half a mile away from where he lost the trail, Parker said. It likely ran out of gas because it was low on fuel.

Parker works for Flo-Tech Inc., which handles grove irrigation needs.

The thievery in agriculture has just gotten terrible with the economy, he said. Thefts of diesel from farms and farm vehicles are getting common, he said.

"I've had customers who had two of the Yamahas side by side vehicles stolen within the last month from Frostproof and recovered in Babson Park," Parker said.

A diesel motor, installed on a well pump, was stolen from one of his customers in Hardee County, he said.

In another incident, Parker said thieves stole a customer's forklift and used it to move 500 gallon gas tanks to State Road 60 to pump them out into another vehicle.

"You almost got to have somebody living on site these days it's so bad," he said. "I'm going to buy a new enclosed trailer Monday and lock everything there is up."

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 863-386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com.

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