Video shows Illinois man driving stolen backhoe through airport to take off

MARION, Ill. (WTVO) – An Illinois man has been charged with theft after he allegedly stole a backhoe and drove about 10 miles to catch a flight at an airport.

Williamson County deputies said they were alerted to the suspected theft on May 18, following a call about a “suspicious” backhoe found parked in the parking lot of the Southern Illinois Veterans Airport.

“Moments later, the owner of the backhoe arrived on scene and identified the equipment as belonging to his business,” the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook press release shared earlier this week. .

The owner of the equipment later told deputies that the backhoe had been parked nearly 10 miles away at a construction site.

Deputies reviewed airport security footage, which showed the suspect arriving in the backhoe, parking and driving through the parking lot to the airport lobby while carrying a guitar case.

The suspect was later identified as Timothy Baggott of Carbondale. He was charged with one count of theft over $10,000, the sheriff’s office said.

In response to “numerous inquiries” into the matter, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office provided an update Wednesday, confirming that Baggott flew from Illinois Veterans Airport in Portland, Oregon, on May 18. He was arrested a few days later on May 21. , in Elko County, Nevada, in connection with possession of a stolen vehicle, but was later released.

The next day, Baggott was arrested again in Elko County, Nevada, “on charges related to possession of an additional stolen vehicle.”

The suspect was being held on $40,000 bond in Elko County as of Wednesday. Williamson County also has an arrest warrant for Baggott.