A Circuit City employee delivering a television to a Morningside home Wednesday made a mistake that gave a thief a golden opportunity.
When the delivery man went inside the home in the 1700 block of Chislett Street about 11 a.m., he left the keys in the truck's ignition. That's when a man jumped inside the truck and drove away with nearly $14,000 in merchandise in tow, police said.
"While he was inside making the delivery, a witness came into the home and told him that a man just drove away with his truck," said Pittsburgh police Cmdr. RaShall Brackney, who is in charge of the city's East Liberty police station. "When the delivery driver ran outside, the truck was gone."
The witness left the scene before police arrived. No description of the suspect was available.
Inside the white box truck were eight televisions and a video game system, Brackney said. One television is worth $5,000; the others were valued at $1,200 apiece. The video game system is worth $400, Brackney said.
The truck has the Circuit City logo on the side, along with the word "Penske." There is a blue stripe running down the side of the trailer, and the truck number -- 301783 -- is marked on the cab and side of the truck, she said.
Phone calls and e-mails to Circuit City's corporate offices in Richmond, Va., were not returned yesterday.
Anyone with information about the location of the truck or thief can call city police at 412-665-3605.
