Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help identifying those responsible for the theft of two skid steers taken at the beginning of December.
TPSO Chief Jimmy Travis said that on Dec. 5 deputies received two separate calls where a skid steer, a construction vehicle used for digging and hauling, was taken from two locations.
In the first case, a John Deere skid steer was taken from a job site on Louisiana Highway 40 west of Independence and is still missing.
In the second case, a Caterpillar skid steer was taken from a construction site on Interstate 55 and later recovered in the Uneedus area. Photographs show a male person of interest who was seen driving a white Chevrolet pickup with the skid steer loaded onto a bumper pull trailer, according to the sheriff’s office.
Travis asks anyone with information regarding either case to call the Sheriff’s Office at 985-345-6150, or, if you wish to remain anonymous, to call Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s anonymous tip line at 1-800-554-5245 or visit www.tangicrimestoppers.comand click on the P3 Tips icon or Submit A Tip. You may be eligible for a cash reward.
Fraudulent text messages
The sheriff’s office is also warning of fraudsters sending text messages posing as the U.S. Post Office, which claim the recipient “has a package with the wrong address at their transit warehouse.” The message contains a link for the recipient to click to “update their address.”
The sheriff’s office warns residents to not click the link, as it is a scam. They advise to not respond and delete the text.
Travis said if you believe there is an issue with an order you placed online, remember to go directly to the website where you placed the order and check the status.
Anyone with questions about these types of scams is welcome to contact the TPSO Financial Crimes Unit at 985-902-2017.
