Stolen Truck Carried Radioactive Materials
A Valencia company said a device containing radioactive materials was in a pickup truck stolen Tuesday in Granada Hills.
The substance was locked in a thick steel cage and does not pose an immediate danger, said Ross Khiabani, chief engineer for the Valencia office of Leighton & Associates, an Irvine-based company specializing in geotechnical consulting. He said the cage could be opened only with a special key owned by the manufacturer of the device, which is a gauge for testing moisture density in soil.
The company is offering a $500 reward for information leading to recovery of the gauge.
The gauge and other testing equipment were in the bed of a red 1988 Mazda pickup stolen Tuesday afternoon from a parking lot at San Fernando Mission and Balboa boulevards, said company spokeswoman Jamie Milteer.
The 40-pound gauge is yellow and resembles an upright vacuum cleaner, Milteer said. It was secured to the truck with a chain and lock.
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