Police: Del. man steals own truck from repair shop

[September 17, 2012]  NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) -- Police in Delaware have arrested a man they say stole his own truck out of a repair shop lot using a front-end loader.

Delaware police say they were called early Friday to the Stop-N-Go in New Castle after a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup went missing. Surveillance tapes showed a front-end loader with forklifts attached driving away with the vehicle.

The repair shop owner then called the vehicle's owner, 30-year-old Donald Smith II of Bear. Police said Smith, whose vehicle was being held because he had defaulted on a payment he owed for repairs, called back to say he had taken the truck using a front-end loader.

Troopers spotted Smith operating the front-end loader and gave chase. A 35-minute pursuit ended with Smith driving into a retention pond.

[Associated Press]

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