Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputies are searching for thieves who stole $50,000 worth of construction equipment from a Puyallup business.
Surveillance video captured the thieves pulling their truck into a business, cutting through a closed-off gate, then driving away with the excavator on a stolen trailer.
“How quickly they committed the crime does show that they likely had cased it out and knew that the excavator was sitting back in the corner lot,” stated Deputy Carly Cappetto.
The crime occurred Friday morning, 7 November at around 4:30 a.m. at a business in Puyallup along the 11100 block of 66th Avenue East.
“This hits hard for small business owners that are trying to run companies,” Cappetto stated.
Cappetto indicated that what is most concerning about this incident is that two thieves now possess a massive excavator.
“In the past, we’ve had stolen excavators used for other crimes, such as ATM thefts or other major types of crimes,” she stated.
Whilst the crime was captured on surveillance footage, it does not show clear images of the suspects.
Investigators reported they do not have many leads and are requesting community assistance in solving the case.
“We’d like to get some tips from the community and get these suspects into custody, so we don’t have any other major crimes happen,” Cappetto stated.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides a tip that leads to an arrest and charges. Tips can be submitted anonymously using the P3Tips app or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
The theft of heavy construction equipment represents a particularly damaging form of property crime that affects small businesses disproportionately due to the substantial replacement costs, operational disruptions, and insurance complications such losses create. Unlike stolen vehicles or smaller tools that can be relatively quickly replaced, excavators represent major capital investments whose absence can halt entire projects and jeopardise contract obligations.
The $50,000 value of stolen equipment, whilst significant in absolute terms, may understate the true cost to the victimised business when accounting for project delays, potential contract penalties, equipment rental expenses to maintain operations, and insurance deductibles or premium increases following the claim. Small construction businesses operating on narrow profit margins can face existential threats from such losses if insurance coverage proves inadequate or replacement timelines extend beyond their financial cushions.
The surveillance footage showing thieves cutting through a closed gate and loading the excavator onto a stolen trailer within minutes demonstrates sophisticated criminal operation requiring advance planning, specialised knowledge, and appropriate equipment. The speed of execution suggests familiarity with heavy equipment operation, trailer hitching procedures, and site security vulnerabilities that would be difficult to exploit without reconnaissance.
Deputy Cappetto’s assessment that the thieves “likely had cased it out” reflects investigative recognition that successful heavy equipment theft rarely occurs opportunistically. Thieves must know the equipment’s location, understand security measures and patrol patterns, possess or steal appropriate transport equipment, and have buyers or disposal methods arranged before attempting such brazen crimes.
The 4:30 a.m. timing represents strategic selection of hours when businesses remain closed, traffic is minimal, and potential witnesses are scarce. This temporal window provides thieves maximum opportunity to work undisturbed whilst darkness provides visual concealment, though it also suggests planning sufficient to understand the business’s operational hours and security staffing patterns.
The use of a stolen trailer compounds the crime’s severity whilst also demonstrating criminal sophistication. Stolen trailers provide transport capacity without linking crimes to thieves’ legitimate property, though they also represent separate victims and additional charges if suspects are apprehended. The coordination required to steal a suitable trailer before executing the excavator theft indicates either multiple criminals working together or a single perpetrator executing a multi-stage operation.
Cappetto’s concern that thieves now possess “a massive excavator” reflects law enforcement’s awareness that stolen heavy equipment frequently facilitates subsequent crimes rather than being sold intact. Excavators provide criminals with powerful tools for smashing through ATM installations, breaching secure facilities, or creating vehicle barriers during other criminal operations.
