Carbondale man steals backhoe, drives it to airport to catch flight

A mystery was solved this week about a suspicious backhoe parked at Southern Illinois Airport in Marion.

Williamson County Sheriff’s deputies were at the airport examining the backhoe when its owner arrived. He said the equipment had been parked on a job site at the intersection of Illinois Route 13 and Spillway Road.

The owner told deputies that Timothy Baggott of Carbondale stole the backhoe and used it to drive 10 miles to catch a flight at the airport.

According to security camera footage, Baggott parked the backhoe in the airport parking lot. He then walked from the backhoe, carrying a guitar case and entered the airport lobby.

Baggott has been charged with theft in excess of $10,000.