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Police Investigate Thefts Of Batteries, Metal From I-69 Site

Last updated on Saturday, September 1, 2012

(HOBBIEVILLE) - The Greene County Sheriff’s Department is looking for the person or person that stole several large equipment batteries, cast iron fittings, and other items from a number of Interstate 69 subcontractor trucks and equipment.

Nick Schneider, of The Greene County Daily World reports, the thefts were discovered Thursday morning stolen from a site located on County Road 190 or Hobbieville Road, just off of State Road 54 by officials with Infrastructure Systems Inc. (ISI) from Orleans.

ISI is a subcontractor of Eastern Heights Utilities Company, of Bloomfield, and is handling waterline relocation along parts of the I-69 construction project in eastern Greene County near Hobbieville.

According to police work crews had left the job site about 5 p.m. on Wednesday and discovered the thefts when workmen arrived on site early Thursday morning.

Eastern Heights Utilities General Manager Ken McIntosh says others items were taken.
McIntosh says, the thieves took all of the company's cast iron fittings, which is a specialized fitting, that can't be used short of somebody just trying to sell them for scrap and valued at several thousand dollars.

According to police the thieves also attempted to pry the doors open on one of service trucks to steal possible the radio or other items. They did not enter the truck, but damaged the doors of the vehicle.

McIntosh says the work in Section 4 of the I-69 project is on a timetable and this incident will hurt the work schedule, but work will resume soon.

McIntosh says it's always possible that this may have been a sabotage-type incident meant to slow down the controversial road construction project as it heads toward Bloomington, but he doubts it.

Anyone with information about these thefts can contact the Greene County Sheriff's Department at 384-4411.

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