Weighty case: Alabama man charged in theft of 70-ton crane

CHILTON, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama man who called a wrecker service asking to have a 70-ton crane pulled out of the woods is now charged with stealing the heavy machinery, sheriff's officials said.

The owner of a towing service contacted the Chilton County Sheriff's Office on Monday, saying the man had called claiming someone gave him the crane, and he wanted it removed so he could sell it for scrap, the agency said in a statement.

The wrecker service owner recalled moving the same crane a few years before and contacted its owner, who denied having given it away. The towing operator then called law enforcement. The man who wanted the crane moved fled before officers arrived, driving the rig into a ditch where it became stuck.

The 26-year-old Clanton man was arrested Tuesday on a probation violation and first-degree theft charges. Court records didn't include the name of a defense attorney who could speak on Mims' behalf.

“We have worked a lot of theft cases over the years, but this one definitely takes first place in the heavyweight category,” Sheriff John Shearon’s office said in a statement, thanking the wrecker service.