Attempted $55,000 beef heist foiled in South Philadelphia, police say
Police said at least four men trying to steal 184 boxes of beef from a refrigerated tractor-trailer fled when police arrived.
Would-be thieves attempted to steal about $55,000 in beef from a parked, refrigerated tractor-trailer Tuesday morning in South Philadelphia, but fled when police arrived, said Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore.
Around 2 a.m., a stolen box truck pulled up behind a parked Kreilkamp tractor-trailer on the 3300 block of South Seventh Street outside the Sysco distribution warehouse, Vanore said.
The big rig’s driver, who was asleep, told police he was awakened by shaking and saw at least four men removing boxes from his trailer and loading them into the box truck, Vanore said.
When police arrived, the men abandoned the box truck and fled in another truck that was briefly pursued by police before getting away, Vanore said.
The 184 boxes of beef the men tried to steal were worth approximately $55,000, Vanore said.
Last September, thieves stole crabmeat worth $42,000 from a tractor-trailer from the same area in a predawn heist while the truck driver was sleeping.
Cargo thefts have been on the rise in Philadelphia, police said in September.