The notification came from the state Division of Motor Vehicles that the truck was in the possession of the Hertford County Sheriff's Office.

“I thought it had probably gone to the scrap yard,” Blackwell, owner of Rivertown Tire in Weldon, said this morning. “I had given up.”

Discovery of the truck on the outskirts of Murfreesboro represented an economic savings. “It was going to be a big replacement cost. It's money I don't have to spend and I can put it back into service.”

He did lose an air compressor and tires, along with various tools. “That was still a financial hit.”

Odd, however, was the truck had a full tank of gas when Blackwell doesn't recall the tank being full on the night it was stolen. The letters on the side of the truck with his company name had been spray-painted. “I guess that was done at my building.”
Blackwell discovered during the ordeal the break-in and the theft of his truck may have been part of a larger theft ring as tire shops and other service businesses in Hertford County had reported similar crimes. “The tow truck driver gave me a discount on the towing bill. In that regard the doors of his place had been pried open. It was simply very generous. We should commend the Hertford County Sheriff's Office on them spotting the truck. They did an excellent job.”

Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan could not be reached for immediate comment this morning.