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Men Caught Stealing Wood in Coronel: One Started Three Fires to Escape

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Two individuals were caught stealing wood on a Forestal Arauco property in Coronel, with one of them managing to escape from Carabineros by starting three separate fires.

The crime occurred in the Manco Alto and Bajo sectors, when two people entered the property to cut and steal eucalyptus wood with chainsaws, and load it onto a pickup truck in which they intended to flee.

However, Carabineros managed to detain the second individual, a 33-year-old man, and also recovered the pickup truck loaded with wood, which was carrying approximately six cubic meters of material.

Following the incident, Ramón Figueroa, Deputy Manager of Fire Prevention and Protection at Forestal Arauco, reported that "one of the persons who could not be detained created three different fire spots in wood piles and in areas inside the same property."

"These are mafias that go around in pickup trucks, that everyone knows, that are from the sector," emphasized the executive.

On the other hand, he lamented what he considers low enforcement to prevent this crime, adding that trucks carrying stolen wood usually travel without their license plates, and criticized the lack of presence of Internal Revenue Service officials in the area, stating that the stolen goods are usually sold as firewood in total "impunity."

This incident affecting Forestal Arauco in Coronel adds to other incidents such as stone attacks on trucks, which caused the suspension of freight transport for several hours on the Lota-Patagual route.

Finally, during the detention formalization hearing, the accused, 33-year-old Hugo Carrillo Arriagada, was formally charged with wood theft and given the precautionary measures of national roots and a prohibition from approaching the property. On that occasion, the Coronel Guarantee Court decreed a 90-day investigation period.

Source:BiobioChile