This Is The Wildest Vehicle Ever Stolen In Amarillo

One of the biggest things we have to watch out for in Amarillo is having our vehicle stolen. It seems to be one of the most popular things to be done in the city, along with those pesky catalytic converters.

However, I never thought I'd see the day that this type of vehicle would be stolen...and actually somehow get away with it. Buckle up, or don't, for this wild ride, because you won't believe what you're about to read.

CONSTRUCTION IN AMARILLO

Yes, it's well-documented that we have a ton of construction going on in the city. That means ramp closures, re-routes, lane closures, you name it. It's nothing but a big headache for everyone involved, except for the construction crews getting paid to do the job.

Construction crews leave machinery out all day and night because they don't have to worry about it being taken...or do they? Apparently no construction machinery is safe after what just happened, and now Amarillo Crime Stoppers is involved in the bizarre story.

SOMETHING IS MISSING

On 9/11, construction crews showed up at their location on 9th and Loop 335. They quickly realized there would be a delay in getting started, or maybe not even getting a chance to start at all. A pretty important piece of equipment was missing, and they had to be completely perplexed as to where it could've gone.

A 2019 yellow John Deere 26G Mini Excavator was suddenly missing from the construction site. I mean, the first thing the crew had to think about was whether or not the owner of the company doing the project came by and grabbed it for something else. Once they found out that wasn't the case, it was pretty apparent it had been stolen.

THE GETAWAY

Let's pause for a second here. Normally when you steal a vehicle, you can get away quickly and arrive at your location in a matter of minutes. I mean, automobiles can go well over 100 mph, so it's not difficult to get the vehicle hidden quickly.

This getaway however would have to go down as the slowest in history. As I looked up the online brochure that talks about it, its speed range is between 1.8-2.8 mph. Yes, 2.8 mph is the top speed it goes. The excavator was stolen somewhere between 5 pm and 8 am on 9/10. If you saw a mini excavator being driven in the middle of the night, wouldn't seem a little fishy to you?

WHERE ARE YOU GOING

Let's think about this. If you crank that thing at 2.8 mph, it would take you roughly four hours to go 12 miles down the road. Chances are, the person who decided to steal it lived a bit closer, so let's cut that down to two hours for a roughly six-mile cruise.

How in the world did NO ONE notice this excavator being driven at a time when no other construction crew or workers were anywhere to be found? I can't imagine the person, or people, that stole it were dressed up like construction workers to make it look believable. I would've loved to see a "high-speed chase" between police and this thing. I feel like police could've gotten out of their car and lightly jogged next to it to keep up with the blazing speed of the excavator.

IT'S STILL MISSING

Miraculously, the excavator is still missing. That means whoever took it managed to drive it slower than molasses all the way home AND find a good hiding spot for it. Is it possible they didn't drive it? Sure, but how in the world did everyone miss someone loading it up to drive it somewhere?

It's hands down the most bizarre thing I've heard of happening in the city in my 3 1/2 years here, and now Amarillo Crime Stoppers has quite possibly the strangest "Stolen Auto Day" case in their history.

If you have any info on where this speed demon is hiding, hit up Amarillo Crime Stoppers at 806-374-4400. You can also utilize their P3 tips app if you wish to remain anonymous. If you help them find this beautiful convertible, you could land a $1,000 reward.