There’s a guy in California – Cory N. Barden – who might need to get some lessons in stealing from the folks in China who swiped some elephants. A 38-year old man in Apple Valley, CA stole a $250,000 helicopter blade and tried to sell part of it as scrap for $250.

“But, officer, I was doing the recycle thing. We Californians love to recycle.”

The Heavy Lift Helicopter Inc had reported that someone broke into their yard and stole a 400-pound rotor blade.

“That’s not a banana, that’s my helicopter blade.”

Good grief! Where does one hide a helicopter blade? Do they fold up like switch blades?

A-1 Recycling alerted investigators that there was some liberal recyclist trying to save the world one helicopter blade at a time…or maybe just needed $250. After investigators matched serial numbers on the blade – the A-1 dudes had kept them from being smashed into little ball bearings, they tracked down our thief. It was easy enough to find him, he had some huge stretch marks in his britches.

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