On Wednesday, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office issued an update on the case which said the suspect, Timothy J. Baggott of Carbondale was arrested Sunday in Wells, Nevada on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle. He was released.
Then on Monday, he was arrested again in Elko County with charges related to possession of another stolen vehicle. He is currently held in the Elko County, Nevada jail on a $40,000 bond.
Williamson County State’s Attorney Ted Hampson filed felony theft charges against Baggott on Tuesday for the backhoe incident, according to a press release from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich said the county has issued a warrant for Baggott’s arrest with a $25,000 bond.
Baggott first captured attention when a “suspicious” backhoe was found parked at the Veteran’s Airport of Southern Illinois. Investigators determined that the backhoe, owned by a local business, had been taken from the intersection of Illinois Route 13 and Spillway Road and alleged that Baggott stole the backhoe and drove it 10 miles to the airport in order to catch a flight.
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Security camera footage shows Baggott arriving at the airport, parking the backhoe and walking into the airport lobby, and he appeared to be carrying a guitar case.
—Les O'Dell, The Southern
In this Series
What you missed this week in notable Southern Illinois crimes and court cases
Les O'Dell
Reporter
Les covers higher education, business and faith issues. A three-degree graduate of SIU, he has written for The Southern since 2009, joining the newsroom staff in 2021. Contact him at les.odell@thesouthern.com or 618-351-5036.
