Pickup owners beware, thieves are targeting the tailgates on trucks in the southwestern part of the county, leaving at least four owners wondering why. Officials believe thieves are possibly selling the tailgates for scrap parts.
Three residents reported the thefts Sunday to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, saying the thief took the tailgates overnight Saturday. A resident in the 1600 block of Grace Church Road, told officials he went to bed around 11 p.m. Saturday and awoke just before 8 a.m. when he noticed the tailgate was missing from his 2001 Chevrolet Silverado. He told investigators he didn’t hear or see anything out of the ordinary.
Less than a half a mile away in the 100 block of Bernhardt Road, thieves took a tailgate from a 2009 GMC Sierra. The owner told officials he went to bed around 11:30 p.m. and brought his garbage bin back in around 9:15 a.m. Sunday when he noticed the tailgate was missing. A third truck owner said he saw his tailgate was missing Sunday morning when he was heading to take his daughters to church. He’d last looked at his 2003 Chevrolet Silverado around 2 p.m. Saturday and discovered it was damaged at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
A resident in the 300 block of Rowan Mill Road reported someone took the tailgate from his vehicle sometime between Saturday around noon and 10 a.m. Sunday morning, which falls within the Salisbury Police jurisdiction.
Sheriff’s Capt. John Sifford said he could only guess that thieves intend to sell the parts for scrap.
Anyone with information about the thefts is encouraged contact law enforcement via Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.