BUTTE— On Wednesday morning, an employee with Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana tracked down a stolen tool truck which was stripped of $35,000 worth of tools.
"They blasted through the gate, you think you put two gates between the thing that’s valuable and the thief but if they want it, they can get it," said Andrew Cornell.
Andrew Cornell, the site supervisor for Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana, began his day like any other but received a call from his co-worker explaining the tool truck had been stolen from their garage late in the night recently.
"Our day was kind of shot so I decided to drive around, take a look, see if I got lucky, and I happened to drive by the truck on top of Montana Street," said Cornell.
Skid marks could still be seen on the road where the truck was hidden, stripped of the important tools Habitat for Humanity’s carpenters need for housing construction.
"I don’t have very much respect for thieves. It’s unfortunate, I mean we’re a non-profit. They had to have known they were stealing from Habitat for Humanity I mean it’s on the front of the building," said Cornell.
"I don’t have very much respect for thieves. It’s unfortunate, I mean we’re a non-profit. They had to have known they were stealing from Habitat for Humanity I mean it’s on the front of the building," said Cornell.
The development of eight houses in Butte, four in Anaconda, and six in Whitehall is now at a standstill because of the theft.
"We need to keep going. We’re building 18 houses by the end of next year, so we don’t really have a choice but to replace the tools," said Cornell.
Butte-Silver Bow police say there are no suspects at this time.
If you’d like to donate good, usable tools to the ReStore, contact the national affordable housing network at (406) 782-8579.
