Canadian County Sheriff's Office investigating theft of heavy construction equipment

CANADIAN COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) — The Canadian County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) is investigating the theft of two heavy construction vehicles from an Oklahoma City job site.

CCSO officials say that on Saturday, May 10, the department received a report on a theft involving a John Deere skid steer and a John Deere mini excavator stolen from a job site near Reno Avenue and South Richland Road sometime between May 3 and May 9.

The investigation revealed that the Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD) ran a vehicle identification number (VIN) on the stolen skid steer on Tuesday, May 6, tracing back to a private sale involving a witness who had purchased the skid steer from the alleged seller for $6,000, according to CCSO.

The department worked actively with OKCPD and recovered the stolen skid steer from an area in Piedmont.

“This is a great example of law enforcement agencies working together to catch criminals and return property to the rightful owner,” said Chris West, Canadian County Sheriff.

According to CCSO officials, a search warrant was authorized on Thursday, May 15, for the property near Reno Avenue and South Richland Road. Deputies were unable to find the mini excavator but recovered a set of pallet forks that belonged to the victim.

A second stolen John Deere skid steer was found, also on May 15, at a property near Belle Boulevard in Mustang, which was part of a related case. The skid steer was impounded once deputies confirmed the VIN was listed as stolen from Oklahoma City.

The investigation is currently ongoing with multiple suspects having been identified, and charges are pending.

Investigators with CCSO are said to be finding more leads while conducting search warrants for other stolen heavy equipment.