A 21-year-old is said to have stolen the very expensive device – and got stuck with it shortly afterwards. The police found the drunk man using a GPS signal when he was just about to dig himself free with the excavator.
A drunk stole an excavator in Middle Franconia, got stuck with it and then tried to dig himself free. Investigators arrested the man, who was drunk with 1.7 per thousand, on Friday in Ansbach, the police said. The officials had previously searched for the excavator, which cost around 100,000 euros, with several strips and a police helicopter. According to the information, the 21-year-old had stolen the vehicle from a construction site. Ultimately, a GPS signal led the investigators to the stuck excavator.
According to a police spokesman, it is decisive for the criminal consequences whether the man wanted to appropriate the excavator. If he just wanted to take it for a spin, it was not theft, just unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. In addition, the 21-year-old will probably have to answer for driving under the influence of alcohol.