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BY RUTHANN ROBINSON
rrobinson@nwitimes.com
219.662.5331 | Tuesday, May 15, 2007 | (1 comment(s))
CROWN POINT | Lake County prosecutors charged two Illinois men Monday with gun violations in a case police say may be related to a series of reported truck driver abductions and cargo thefts.
Anthony Gibson, 33, of Chicago, is charged with two counts of carrying a handgun without a license.
Dinisio Gilbert, 34, of Dolton, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
A Crown Point police officer stopped a Bobcat Freightliner -- a semitractor without a trailer -- for speeding and equipment violations just before 2 a.m. Saturday, court records state.
Gilbert was driving and Gibson was a passenger, police said. Police said they found a silver revolver and several rolls of duct tape in the sleeper portion of the semi.
Indiana State Police warned truck drivers Friday to be careful while parking at local truck stops, saying truckers reported three separate incidents in which someone entered trucks, overpowered the drivers and then stole the cargo. Police said the suspects in those cases drove a Bobcat Freightliner and at gunpoint, duct-taped the drivers and drove them to an isolated area before driving off with stolen loads of metal.
Neither Gibson nor Gilbert have been charged with any abductions or theft.
At 1:30 a.m. Saturday, a trooper watching the Flying J truck stop off Interstate 65 on Ind. 2 saw the Bobcat Freightliner in which Gibson and Gilbert were traveling pull into the truck stop, circle the lot, stop for a moment, then pull out, court records allege. The cab headed north on I-65 and was later stopped by the Crown Point officer.
Reported truck driver abductions, cargo thefts
Police said it seems the thieves are targeting semis hauling scrap metal, aluminum and stainless steel.
State police offer the following tips for truckers:
-- Be aware of your surroundings.
-- Keep your vehicle locked.
-- Watch for any suspicious people.
-- Don’t park in a secluded area.
-- Call 911 if help is needed.
Police ask that anyone with information on these thefts call state police Detective Glen Bovard at (800) 552-8917 or (219) 696-6242.
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TSD wrote on May 15, 2007 6:51 PM: