‘I had the keys with me the whole time’: Man says his 9-ton grapple truck was stolen

By Michelle Meredith

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    ORANGE COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — Troy Edwards’ dream of making a living with his new grapple truck was shattered when it was stolen in broad daylight.

“Somebody wanted it more than I did,” Edwards said.

Edwards bought the gigantic grapple truck just weeks ago, hoping to make good money hauling heavy items.

“You know all your good honest hard work you put into this truck and he just swipes it away that fast,” he said.

Grapple trucks, equipped with big claws, are commonly used to grab and haul heavy items like furniture and hurricane debris.

“Anything on the side of the road that people don’t want we can use the grapple truck … load it in there and they are going to pay about $500 to $600 a load.”

Edwards parked the truck behind a grocery store at the intersection of Curry Ford Road and Conway Road, believing he could hear if anyone tried to start it since he lives next door.

However, on Nov. 3, in broad daylight, surveillance video captured a man pulling up in a white car, inspecting the 9-ton truck, and then hot-wiring it, according to an Orlando police report.

“He was out there messing with the locks … and then he got inside the truck, hot-wired it, and drove off … I had the keys with me the whole time,” Edwards said.

Edwards invested about $15,000 in the used truck, while new grapple trucks can be worth up to $150,000. For Edwards, the truck was invaluable.

“Do you have a message for the thieves?” WESH 2’s Michelle Meredith asked.

“Can I curse? I really want to curse,” he said.

Edwards hopes for a Hollywood ending to his story, with Orlando police catching the thief and returning his truck.

The motive behind stealing a grapple truck could be to make money with it, use it for parts, or even ship it to another country for sale.

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