Thief tricks guard, steals truckload of solar panels www.privateofficer.com
Honolulu HI April 28 2012 Police are asking for help finding some unique items. A shipping container filled with solar panels was stolen two weeks ago.
Those items belong to a company called ECC. Officials say the thief made off with 476 solar panels, possibly worth $142,000.
According to Honolulu Police, a man in his 30s weighing 180 pounds wearing a white t-shirt, long blue denim pants, a beanie and boots, drove a semi-truck to the Red Hill area. The suspect told a security guard he was picking up a shipping container.
“The guard, because he opened the lock didn’t think anything and thought he was an employee. When the employees did come to work and checked the container they found that over 400 photovoltaic panels were in the container and missing,” said Sgt. Kim Buffett with CrimeStoppers.
The stolen items belong to a military constructor called ECC. Company officials, say each solar panel has a serial number on it. The solar panels need other components to make them work — components that were not in the stolen shipping container. Coordination with Hawaiian Electric, is also, generally needed with solar panel installation.
Company officials, who did not want to appear on camera, issued this statement: “ECC is disappointed that this theft has occurred and we would appreciate any community support that will lead to the recovery of the stolen Sharp photovoltaic panels.”
Police are asking you to be on the lookout for the blue Horizon lines shipping container, which has the serial number GESU-484819. The semi-truck trailer was a red hyundai with a license plate number 483-OTR.
Police say the suspect is wanted for theft in the first degree.
“I think what made it not out of the ordinary for the security guard was the fact that this person knew the combination for the lock so obviously only employees would know it,” Buffett said.
If you have any information, call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
