Stolen Backhoe Driven 250 Miles From Oregon to Mattawa

The Grant County Sheriff's Office has recovered a stolen backhoe they say was driven all the way from Central Oregon to Mattawa.

A deputy spotted the 2020 John Deere 410L at a property in the 30000 block of State Route 243 and questioned the property owner about its presence since it appeared out of place and had two broken windows.

The property owner could not provide a verifiable explanation about the backhoe, and an investigation revealed that it had been reported as stolen from a construction site near Bend, Oregon on February 9.

The backhoe's rightful owner also provided GPS tracking information which indicated it had been driven approximately 250 miles from the site to Mattawa at its top speed of 25 mph.

The backhoe, which has a value of $160,000, was picked up by its legal owner and the investigation into its theft continues.

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