SHELBY — Local law enforcement encountered one of the strangest cases of theft in the area involving a backhoe bucket and a strong sense of denial.
Shelby Police Chief Lance Combs said on the department’s Facebook page Tuesday that the day before, area law enforcement was alerted to a possible theft of a shovel attachment normally attached to a backhoe. Authorities were alerted when the item was taken to Milliron Recycling to scrap.
“This is not unusual. This happens often, and Milliron’s is probably the best in the area when it comes to identifying and keeping records on item theft that comes to them for scrap,” Combs said. “Milliron immediately reached out to all agencies in the area to alert law enforcement, starting with us, because they knew the suspect was from Shelby.
“What made the incident unusual was the way it had been brought into Milliron’s.”
As it turns out, police say Shelby resident Kenneth Steagall attached the shovel attachment to the back of his black 2002 Chevy Cavalier and dragged the shovel from Mansfield Motor Group in Mansfield all the way to Milliron Recycling.
The distance from Mansfield Motor Group on Park Avenue West to Milliron Recycling on State Route 39 is 5.3 miles.
According to Combs, Steagall was eventually located by Shelby Police Capt. David Mack. Steagall initially denied the theft entirely — until he was confronted with “overwhelming evidence” of submitted photos and video of his vehicle dragging the shovel attachment behind it. This elicited a full confession.
“My law enforcement career started on the Shelby PD Auxiliary in 1990,” Combs said. “Over the years, I have seen a lot of unbelievable things. Things that other people would never believe unless they saw it with their own eyes. I will put this story into that category.”
Combs said Steagall was arrested by the Shelby Police Department for driving under suspension and turned over to the Mansfield Police Department. Mansfield Police Lt. Rob Skropits said Steagall was issued a summons for theft, a first-degree misdemeanor, and was due to appear in court on Tuesday morning.
Besides providing a great story and a few laughs, Combs actually did find a moral in the story.
“Don’t take other people’s things,” he said. “Or drag them behind your car for several miles.”
