Stolen plow returned in better condition after thief did repairs

LYNN, Mass.-- It appears an alleged thief may have actually done some good after stealing from a Massachusetts nonprofit -- even if he didn't mean to.

Last week as the maintenance crew of a nonprofit charitable agency in Lynn, Massachusetts, began preparing for snow, they discovered a plow missing, reported CBS Boston.

It was the only plow the agency has to clear four different lots, and worth $7,000.

"I was in a panic," said Lynn Economic Opportunity Maintenance Director Richard Garcia.

The agency provides childcare, heat and weather assistance to low income families.

"$7,000 means those are services we can't provide to children ... and heating assistance in the winter," said LEO CEO Bergitta Damon to CBS Boston.

What the thief didn't know is that the agency has several surveillance cameras pointed down at the parking lot and caught him in the act. CBS Boston reports that the video shows a truck approach, mount the plow to the front, and drive off within five minutes. From that, police were able to identify the truck, and track down the stolen plow.

"He basically painted all the rust," Garcia says.

The agency has its plow back just in time for another possible storm.

The thief, who hasn't been identified by police, was issued a summons to appear in Lynn District Court.