Leads sought in equipment theft

Investigators with the Elmore County Sheriff's Department continued this week to search for leads in a case involving a theft at the county fairgrounds.

According to law enforcement sources, a 2001 New Holland TC 40 tractor with a front-end loader was stolen from fairgrounds sometime between March 11 and 12.

A fairground employee told Fair Board manager Rena Kerfoot that the tractor was there when he left the grounds around 6 p.m. Sunday evening. When he returned to the grounds Monday morning, the tractor and attached bucket were missing.

The equipment was parked in a three-sided shed, and the keys were not left in the ignition. Unidentified tire tracks found near the shed appear to indicate that those responsible loaded the tractor onto a trailer.

Kerfoot said the tractor is valued at between $7,200 and $11,200.

The sheriff's department notified weigh stations and port of entry sites in surrounding states to be on the lookout for the equipment, said Deputy Kip Wills.

Anyone who might have witnessed suspicious activity during the time of the theft are asked to call the sheriff's department at 587-2100.