Aug 16, 2008 6:10 pm US/Eastern
Thieves Steal Wheelchair Lift In Broad Daylight
SALEM (WBZ) ―
Some brazen thieves with a marked commercial truck stole a 1,400-pound wheelchair lift in broad daylight from the Ancient Order of the Hibernians Hall in Salem on Wednesday, possibly to sell as scrap metal.
The theft was reported on Thursday but Salem police said locals had chatted with the thieves while they were loading the ramp, thinking they were repairmen.
The metal-based ramp brought people in wheelchairs to the first main floor, where weddings and showers are often held. The structure is estimated to cost $10,000.
Tom Tariff says he is upset that the thieves stole the lift from his Irish-American club, which took the culprits at least 40 minutes to do. He said the thieves used a red recycling truck to swipe the structure.
"How could you possibly take something like this off the property?" Tariff said.
Tariff said witnesses who saw the theft thought nothing of it because the hall had undergone construction recently. Some witnesses said the thieves claimed they were repairmen.
Anyone with information about the thieves or the markings on the commercial truck used to haul off the ramp is asked to contact Salem police at 978-744-1212.
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