$40K tool loading machine stolen from Burton business

A $40,000 piece of equipment was stolen from a Burton business over the weekend.

The red and white Bobcat skid-steer loader and its fork attachment were last seen at Padgett Tree Service on Ice House Road around 8 p.m. on Friday, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report. The business owner reported the machine stolen just after 10 a.m. Monday.

The machine has a pair of arms that lift a variety of attachments for different types of work including digging, tilling and land clearing, according to Bobcat’s website.

Tire tracks found at the business show that the Bobcat was driven out to a Broad River Boulevard parking lot after being used to take down a fence, according to the report.

This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 3:46 PM with the headline "$40K tool loading machine stolen from Burton business."