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Local construction site thief nabbed

by M. Dilworth • December 17, 2013

Deputies hauled away truckloads of equipment believed to be stolen from local construction sites. Suspected thief, Wayne Willis, was arrested for grand theft. (Photos courtesy LASD)
Deputies hauled away truckloads of equipment believed to be stolen from local construction sites. Suspected thief, Wayne Willis, was arrested for grand theft. (Photos courtesy LASD)

LANCASTER – A 47-year-old man suspected of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment from local construction sites was arrested Tuesday, authorities said.

Wayne Willis was arrested around 10:50 a.m. after deputies raided his Lancaster property and found nearly 100 pieces of serialized construction equipment, some of which had altered serial numbers, according to Lancaster Community Relations deputy Miguel T. Ruiz.

This Bobcat skid-steer loader was equipped with a LoJack, and deputies tracked to signal to Willis' Lancaster home.
This Bobcat skid-steer loader was equipped with a LoJack, and deputies tracked the signal to Willis’ Lancaster home.

One of the items, a stolen Bobcat skid-steer loader, is what led deputies to Willis, Ruiz said. He said the Bobcat was reported stolen Tuesday morning from a local construction site near 20th Street West and Lancaster Boulevard.

The item was equipped with a Lojack system, and deputies tracked the signal to a Willis’ home in the 44000 Block of Cedar Avenue in Lancaster, Ruiz said.

They executed a search warrant at the property and confiscated nearly 100 pieces of construction equipment and other items believed to be stolen, Ruiz said.

Deputies also seized motorcycles and off-road vehicles that were not registered to Willis.
Deputies also seized motorcycles and off-road vehicles that were not registered to Willis.

“Several generators, several circular saws, drills, an air jack hammer… It was pretty much a broad spectrum of construction equipment and heavy equipment that would commonly be used at a construction site. All those items were serialized or had altered serial numbers,” Ruiz said, adding that deputies also seized two quad bikes and three motorcycles.

“None of them were registered to him nor could he provide any documentation or proof of who the lawful owners were,” Ruiz said.

Willis was arrested for grand theft and jailed in lieu of $35,000 bail.

Detectives are now working to identify the rightful owners of the equipment and stolen property.

“We’re asking for patience to let us contact those victims that we know of, and then if we need further help, we’ll appeal to the public,” Ruiz said. “This will prevent an inundation of phone calls for the investigators that might delay the process.”

Willis is due in court Thursday to face charges.

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

10 comments for "Local construction site thief nabbed"

  1. TONJA says

    February 1, 2014 at 9:21 pm

    THIS MAN WAS THINKING HE WAS REPOSSING HIS BOBCAT FROM SOMEONE WHO DIDNT FINISH PAYING HIM.HE HAD MADE A MISTAKE.WAS GOING TO CONTACT OWNER OF IT BUT DIDNT GET THE CHANCE.HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO LET THE PERSON KNOW HIS MISTAKE AND RETURN IT

  2. tonja says

    December 25, 2013 at 10:29 pm

    I WAS THERE AND ANYONE WHOS HAD THEIR STUFF STOLLEN ALWAYS KEEPS THEIR EYE OPEN TO FIND IT,WELL THATS WHAT MR WILLIS WAS DOING HE THOUGHT HE FOUND HIS STOLLEN BOBCAT NOBODY SEEM TO TELL THATS WHAT HAPPENED.AND NOBODY WELL DO A PUBLIC CORRECTION EITHER

    • AV Folk says

      February 2, 2014 at 9:28 am

      So they dropped all the charges? Where is it okay to go and take something that isn’t yours and then when caught claim you made a mistake and were about to return it? Good luck with that in court.

  3. john Howard says

    December 18, 2013 at 3:08 pm

    The name of the person arrested comes up under the name of a construction business.
    Many of the items stolen were items one would use when running a construction business.
    Either the construction company is a cover for him to sell stolen items from construction sites or there is more to this story than meets the eye.
    If that Miller welder goes to auction I’m bidding on it.

    • Matthew Willis says

      December 18, 2013 at 9:13 pm

      There is more than meets the eye to this story and the only thing that was stolen was the bob cat and everything in the truck and trailer i can tell you when and where and who he got it from.

      • CB says

        December 20, 2013 at 7:16 am

        Do tell us, we really want to know…

        • Matthew Willis says

          December 20, 2013 at 11:15 pm

          Correction “Reported Stolen” i men’t to say.

  4. anotherdummy says

    December 18, 2013 at 11:28 am

    In stealing that equipment he prevented others from being able to work to feed their families. I do not feel sorry for him no matter how he tried to validate his crime.

  5. Eric says

    December 18, 2013 at 10:56 am

    Those who steal to feed their family do not take excessively.

    Those who are either a kleptomaniac or supporting a large drug habit will.

    • CB says

      December 20, 2013 at 7:21 am

      “Those who steal to feed their family do not take excessively.”? So by your logic, if I have something but you need to feed your family it is alright to steal something from me?
      If you steal something, you have taken something that does not belong to you. I would consider that excessive “taking”….

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