‘Vigilante’ gets revenge on metal shop thieves

The owner of a machine shop where thieves stole $3,000 worth of scrap steel, iron and aluminum wasn’t going to let it happen again. After Saturday night’s theft, Joseph Lord loaded his shotgun and laid low, expecting the thieves to return. They came back on Tuesday, in broad daylight.

When Lord saw their 2008 F-250 pickup truck, he shot out its tires and windshield and blasted its radiator, Kennebec County Sheriff Randall Liberty said.

The startled thieves took off on foot, but investigators quickly tracked down the truck’s operator, who will be charged with theft, Liberty said. Charges are pending against an accomplice, the sheriff said.

Liberty said he discourages the use of guns to protect property. In this case, Lord told investigators he wanted to disable the vehicle so the criminals couldn’t escape.

“I can understand the frustration that Mr. Lord must have been experiencing,” Liberty said. But, he added, “We don’t want to see anyone get hurt over property.”