Crime & Safety

Residents Beware: Stolen Utility District Truck Found in East Bay, Missing Equipment

EBMUD equipment inside the truck was not recovered, prompting officials to issue a warning to residents of would-be burglars who might use the equipment to gain access to commit crimes.

Officials with the East Bay Municipal Utility District say a maintenance truck that had been stolen last week was recovered in Castro Valley on Sunday night.

According to East Bay Municipal Utility District spokeswoman Abby Figueroa, the truck was found by Alameda County Sheriff's deputies. Figueroa says the equipment inside the truck, which included an official EBMUD work badge, hard hat, safety vest and tools, was not recovered.

The truck was taken on Thursday and was later spotted near Redwood Christian Church in Castro Valley on Saturday, according to EBMUD.  

Officials have issued a warning to all East Bay residents to be aware of suspects possibly posing as utility workers in residential neighborhoods. 

[Related article: Police Warn of Would-Be Burglars Posing as Water Employees]
 
EBMUD said that utility workers making repairs to water lines do not normally ask to enter homes, but might knock on doors to notify residents of temporary water outages. Residents should ask to see workers' identification and ask the purpose of their visit. 

EBMUD and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department continue their investigation of the theft with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, which is participating in the investigation due to security concerns over the loss of the employee badge. 

Anyone who sees suspicious activity should call 911.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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