A truck driver was hurt Friday morning while he was trying to stop a cargo heist near a Northeast Philadelphia Walmart, according to police. The thieves got away with about $30,000 worth of snow crab.
Police said the incident happened around 5 a.m. on the 4300 block of Byberry Road.
According to police, the truck driver was sleeping but then awakened because of an alarm signaling that his truck was being broken into.
Police said the driver confronted about a dozen thieves who then violently attacked him.
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"Regrettably the driver intervened and was assaulted by two of the males. He wasn’t seriously injured but he was banged up a little bit. The males then fled," Philadelphia Police Captain John Ryan said.
The thieves stole about 100 boxes of Granpa Havery's snow crabs that had been picked up that morning. Investigators believe this was an organized heist.
Ryan added that four vehicles were involved — a black BMW, a white Chevy and a grey or gold Subaru. Police are still working on the description of the fourth car.
Around this time last year in the same spot, $200,000 worth of dimes were stolen from an unmarked trailer.
This year, police have reported 53 cargo thefts city-wide, a trend Rayn said they've seen pop up since the pandemic.
However, Ryan added that the trend is slowing down, but he advises truck drivers not to confront or fight back when confronted with these thieves.
Police are asking anyone who sees someone selling large quantities of snow crabs on the streets or in a corner market to contact them.
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