Posted on 05/02/2009 1:24:43 PM PDT by Stoat
1,000 Pounds of Fertilizer Stolen, Police searching for burglars
Clarissa Stephens, Shoals Bureau Reporter
April 30, 2009
Burglars targeted a Tuscumbia business early Thursday morning. What's most alarming is what the thieves took from business. The stolen property is potential dangerous material.
Approximately 1,000 pounds of high-grade nitrate fertilizer was taken from Greens Keepers on Gann Boulevard in Tuscumbia. The company handles fertilization and weed control for residential and commercial lawns. The owner, John Wagner, says he's been in business for twelve years and nothing like this has ever happened.
"It's very unusual," says Wagner. "It was a very big shock to walk in at 7:00 a.m. and see all this gone."
Sometime early Thursday morning, burglars broke in the business. First, they tried to bust through this glass window in the front of the building. When that didn't work, police say the crooks pried open the side door.
"It appears that 25 to 30 bags of high-grade nitrate fertilizer was taken off the premises," explains Wagner.
The thieves stacked the bags of fertilizer onto one of the company trucks, attached a trailer to the back, and loaded a lawn mower on it. The crooks also rummaged through the office - grabbing two computers, an iPod, and a cordless phone.
The stolen property is valued at several thousand dollars. For Wagner, that's not the most unsettling part.
"The cost of the fertilizer is not the issue, it's the quantity and the potential for bad guys," explains Wagner. "
Wagner worries that having the large amount of fertilizer in the wrong hands could lead to something very dangerous.
"It could potentially be made into a bomb," says Wagner.
Tuscumbia police say as the burglars were driving off, the trailer, lawn mower, and some fertilizer fell off somewhere on King Street. Shortly after that, investigators say the burglars abandoned the truck on Sterling Boulevard.
The truck and trailer were returned to Greens Keepers. Police are still on the hunt for the fertilizer and the people responsible for taking it.
Right now, the Tuscumbia Police Department does not have any suspects and is asking for the public's help to develop some leads. If you have any information about the crime or know where the fertilizer may be, call the Shoals Area CrimeStoppers at (256) 386 - 8685.
I'm sure that we all sincerely hope that you're right.
That reminds me - I’ve got to get a bag of pre-emergent for my second anti-crabgrass application.
Oooh it was “high-grade” fertilizer. Is that like “assault weapon”?
If you feel that this is an essential issue, please complain to the Admin Mods here, who will be delighted to change the title if they feel it’s warranted.
Given that it could be anywhere in the country, I fail to see the crucial nature of this distinction but you’re entirely welcome to your opinion and to act upon it.
Check Bill Ayres garage.
The only thing that indicated that the location was even in the USA was the call sign of the radio station. I doubt that very many readers know enough about radio call signs to know that this one indicated that the station is somewhere in the Eastern USA.
If there is not enough space in the title, you can make the location part of the post comment.
In any case, this issue is mouse nuts compared to implication of the story. Thank you for posting it.
And thank you for seeing the bigger picture.
It’s helpful for a headline like this to have the state in the title...(ALA)
Tuscumbia is a suburb of Russellville, I believe.
Please see post #9 and several that follow.......
Tuscumbia is in North Alabama, fairly close to the TN state line.
Deana
-LOL-pet peeve of mine...
There have been FIVE replies to my post and I still don’t know the state.
That’s a lot of fertilizer, even more than comes out of Congress each day.
Look among the keywords, for a start. Not that it matters, as it could be in your neighbor’s garage at the moment.
Yeah,,,, well,,, they did steal a lawnmower too. Why would someone steal fertilizer to pay for drugs? Ya gonna pawn fertilizer? That comment didn’t make a lot of sense to me. But, hopefully, they aren’t bombers!
Maybe they just have a really large marijuana business...
Stolen by someone that knows the price of fertilizer is at an all time high. Take it out of state, undercut the going price and sell all 1000 lbs. for a nice chunk of change.
It’s a win-win for everyone.
meth lab
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